Just As It Should Be
by Em Kay Who
Summary: They've made it through kidnapping, torture, and an entire year that never was. They've made it through so much together. What will happen when the Doctor recieves a warning about his song coming to an end? And what do the nightmares that are plaguing Rose mean? Will they be able to save the Universe once more? - A series four rewrite with Rose. Sequel to The Old Team.
1. Partners in Crime Part 1

**A/N: It's here! Finally. I'm terribly sorry about the wait, you all have been so kind and patient. I'm really excited about rewriting series four, though I think it will be much more challenging than series three. In fact, Partners in Crime has turned out to be way more difficult than I imangined. Keep in mind that things will get more exciting as the series progress (I have some fun plot twists planned!). I hope you enjoy!**

**Note: I'm going to try my hardest to get the next chapter up before Christmas, but with everything I have going on there's a good possiblity I won't quite make it before. Once the holidays are over though, I should be more regular with updates :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC. *Note: Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Partners in Crime. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

Rose smiled as she made her way from the bedroom to the control room. She and the Doctor were on their way to a well-known resort planet, something they had done several times in the past few months. Or what she assumed had been months. It was always hard to keep track on the TARDIS and even it was even harder now that she no longer made regular visits to Earth to see her mum. Rose felt a slight pang in her heart and the thought of Jackie Tyler. It had been a long time now since they had been separated at the Battle of Canary Wharf. The Doctor had been able to grant her one tiny visit with her mum through a tiny crack in the Universe. It had been difficult, but through that two minute projection, Rose learned that her mum was happy and had another baby on the way with the parallel version of Pete Tyler.

Confident that her mother was living a happy life, Rose was determined to do the same. She still had bad days. After being kidnapped at the end of the Universe by another Time Lord who called himself the Master, Rose often suffered from nightmares or panic attacks. With the Doctor's help though she was getting loads better. She often went several nights in a row with peaceful dreams, and could even run for her life with the best of them on whatever planet the Doctor took her to, without having a panic attack.

They avoided Earth though. Sometimes Rose wondered if the Doctor was done trying to save them. How many times had his life or the ones of those he cared about been put at stake while he tried to save the human population? Maybe he just needed a break. Maybe they both did. Either way, Rose had decided to enjoy every second she had with him. Because something deep inside her, something she wasn't even fully aware of yet, was telling her that time was running out.

* * *

The Doctor grinned when Rose entered the control room, wearing a light blue sundress. "Good morning, love," he greeted, using a term of endearment he only used in private.

"Morning," she replied in a chipper manner.

"So ready to visit the planet Mid-" He was cut of by an alarm going off on the monitor.

"What is it?"

"Suspicious activity on Earth looks like and I'll give you one guess where the activity is located," he told her.

"Why is it always London?" Rose grumbled after reading the map on the monitor. "So we gonna investigate?"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "We don't have to. Time Machine."

"Doctor, we've been away long enough. We can't avoid Earth for forever."

"You sure you're up to this? I don't know the specifics of what we're looking at here."

"I'm better now, Doctor. Much better. I'm ready to get back out there and do what we what do best."

He kissed her soundly. "If you start to feel uncomfortable, you'll tell me yeah?"

"Yep." She pecked his lips once more. "Now I better go change into something a bit more sensible."

The Doctor frowned, not wanting to see her change out of the sun dress. "Dress smart," he called out to her. "Looks like we're going to be investigating a business... Adipose Industries."

Rose peeked her head back in the control room and gave a tongue in teeth grin. "Undercover work? My favourite."

* * *

_ Several hours later..._

"I hate undercover work. Honestly. The nerve of that woman! 'You be health, I'll be safety.' Can you believe her!? And you! You just stood there like a gapping fish. Never mind the fact that I was standing right next to you."

The Doctor sighed. Rose had been ranting for the past fifteen minutes straight about that silly woman at the Adipose call centre. So she may have offered him her number... It's not like he took it! He really wasn't sure why Rose was so upset with him.

After the incident with the poorly named space-cruise ship , the Titanic, the Doctor and Rose had spent their time away the planet Earth. Instead they spent their time getting to know one another on a more intimate level by spending weeks on end just floating through the Vortex or going to visit various resort planets throughout the Universe.

But then the TARDIS had to go and alert them of the suspicious activity taking place on Earth. Neither were surprised when the learned just where the activity was located.

_"Why is it always London?" Rose had grumbled._

The Doctor often asked himself the same thing.

This was how the time travelling pair finally found themselves back on Earth working "undercover" to get the inside scoop on Adipose Industries. They apparently manufactured diet pills. Their main slogan was that "the fat just walks away." After procuring a client list from the flirty Adipose employee, Clare, the Doctor and Rose were off to interview one of the clients.

Course for the life of him, the Doctor still couldn't see why Rose was so upset.

"Rose, I, honest to goodness, have no idea why you're angry with me," he admitted. "It's not like it's the first time someone's come on to me."

Rose shook her head. "Oh, don't look so smug about it. And I'm upset because you didn't correct her."

"Correct her how?"

"I was standing right next to you! The least you could have done was told her that you already have a health and safety partner!"

"I didn't feel the need to explain our relationship to that silly woman, Rose." He stopped walking and took her by the shoulders. "You're not doubting my feelings for you, are you?"

She shook her head. "No. Course not. It's just... We don't really have a name for what we are. On that planet, Mios, everyone referred to me as your stavina, whatever that means. And on most other planets I've been referred to as your mate or your partner. But on Earth? There's no word to define what we are and when that woman came on to you I wanted so badly to tell her to back off because you're mine. My what though is the question."

In response, the Doctor placed a gentle kiss on her lips and Rose felt her heart melt. Over the past few months, Rose had learned that the Doctor was not one for public displays of affection. Hand holding? Absolutely. Hugging? Sure, when the occasion called for it. But snogging in public was another matter. It wasn't that he was ashamed of their relationship, quite the contrary, and he had been quick to make that clear to her. It was that he treasured those intimate moments so much, he didn't want to share them. Not one bit. Inside the TARDIS, he felt completely different on the subject. Rose blushed when she thought about that very fact.

"Rose Tyler," the Doctor said, breaking her thoughts. "That's just it. I'm your's. I'm your Doctor. No matter what title we use for one another, nothing is going to change that."

"You're right. And I'm your Rose." She grinned widely. "God, how cheesy is that."

He gave a hearty laugh. "That's us. Now come on, we have a Mr. Davey to go see."

* * *

When they reached the home of the Adipose client they were going to see the Doctor gave Rose's hand a gentle squeeze before knocking on the door.

A middle aged man opened the door. "Hello?"

"Hi!" the pair greeted in unison before the Doctor took over. "Mr. Roger Davey? I'm Dr. John Smith, this is Rose. We're calling on behalf of Adipose Industries. Just need to ask you a few questions."

"Please, call me Roger, come on in. Make yourself at home," the man said, leading them into his sitting room. "What can I do for you lot?"

Getting into character, Rose pulled out a notepad and said, "How about we start with how long you've been taking the pills and how much weight you've lost?"

"I've been on the pills for two weeks now. I've lost fourteen kilos," Roger answered dutifully.

"That's the same amount every day?" the Doctor questioned as he paced back and forth.

"One kilo exactly. You wake up, and it's disappeared overnight. Well, technically speaking, it's gone by ten past one in the morning."

"What makes you say that?"

"That's when I get woken up. Might as well weigh myself at the same time."

Rose cleared her throat. "But why are you waking up at that precise time?"

Roger sighed and led them out front to show where his alarm was placed. "It is driving me mad. Ten minutes past one, every night, bang on the dot without fail, the burglar alarm goes off. I've had experts in, I've had it replaced, I've even phoned Watchdog. But no, ten past one in the morning, off it goes."

"But with no burglars?" the Doctor asked.

"Nothing. I've given up looking."

"Tell me, Roger. Have you got a cat flap?"

The homeowner led them to the back door. "It was here when I bought the house. I've never bothered with it, really. I'm not a cat person," he explained as he and the Doctor laid on the floor examining the small flap.

"No, We've met cat people. You're nothing like them."

Rose gave the man a reassuring smile. "Not at all," she confirmed.

"It's that what it is, though?" Roger shrugged. "Cats getting inside the house?"

The Doctor looked up and gave Rose a knowing look before saying, "Well, thing about cat flaps is, they don't just let things in, they let things out as well."

"Like what?"

"The fat just walks away." Pulling himself up, he grabbed Rose's arm and began leading her, once more, to the front door. "Well, thanks for your help. Tell you what, maybe you could lay off the pills for a week or so." Something began beeping in the Doctor's pocket. "Oh. Got to go. Sorry." With that he ran out of the house.

"It was really nice meeting you," Rose called out as she chased after the Doctor.

* * *

"What's that?" Rose asked as they ran, and nodded to the device in the Doctor's hand.

"It's my adipose detector! It goes beep when there's stuff!" he replied, not even breathlessly. Suddenly a van came screeching down the street, almost knocking them down. "Are you alright?!"

"Fine, fine," she responded and followed as he started to chase after the van. After a few minutes though, both begin to slow their pace.

"Lost the signal," the Doctor said, shoving the three pronged device back in his pocket.

"We've still got that pendant you got at the call centre though, yeah? We could go back to the TARDIS, see if there's anything fishy about that thing."

He pulled her in for a hug. "Brilliant thinking, Lewis. Let's go home."

* * *

After stopping for chips, and munching them on the way, they went back into the TARDIS control room. Rose flopped herself down on the jump seat as the Doctor pulled out a large magnifying glass and a few other instruments he would need to test the pendant Adipose gave out with every purchase. After nearly ten minutes of testing, he knew exactly what the necklace was.

"Oh, fascinating. Seems to be a bio-flip digital stitch, specifically for-" he stopped when he noticed how quiet Rose had been since they entered the TARDIS. He turned and found her sound asleep on the jump seat. Quietly, he began putting his equipment away, before carefully picking her up and taking her to their bedroom where she would be more comfortable.

* * *

Rose closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall. "Tell me again why we're hiding in a closet?" The Doctor had woken her up bright and early, claiming they needed to get an early start on the day, only to then lead her into some tiny storage "room". She opened her eyes when she suddenly heard a shifting noise.

"Because of this!" the Doctor proclaimed, gesturing to the large machine that took up an entire wall.

"Well, there is that."

"Yep! This is some fine work, it'll take me most of the day to hack into it."

"We're stuck in here all day!? What if I have to use the loo?"

He smirked and nodded to a nearby bucket. "Already taken care of."

Rose gave him a blank stare. "No," was all she said.

"I've brought plenty of snacks for us as well!"

"Doctor," she pouted. "Are you seriously going to make me wee in a bucket?"

He rolled his eyes. "It's not like you haven't done it before."

"Yeah, when we've been in prison!"

"Fine. When the urge hits, just let me know. I suppose you can sneak back out to the TARDIS to use the loo."

She pecked his cheek. "Thank you."

* * *

Four hours in and Rose was officially bored. She had already snuck out once to the TARDIS to use the loo and on the way she grabbed a few gossip rags she hadn't caught up on, and a couple of books she had been reading with the Doctor. Well, she finished the rags and couldn't find the attention span to actually focus on the books. And the Doctor was too busy fiddling with the machine to pay her any attention. She knew of only one thing that might distract him for a bit. It was a tactic still new to her, but she had used it a couple of times while he was tinkering in the TARDIS and, so far, it had worked each time.

"Doctor?" she said in the most seductive voice.

Oblivious to what was going on around him, he responded with an automatic, "Yes?" as he typed something into the keypad.

"Doctor, I'm bored. Can't you take a break?"

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Rose, but I'm right in the middle of-" His sentence was cut off by Rose's top landing on his head. "Rose, what are you doing?" he asked, embarrassed by the squeaky tone it came out in.

She leaned back, now without a shirt, and began fanning herself. "It's a bit warm in here, dontcha think, Doctor?"

He groaned. He knew exactly what she was doing. "Rooose. As lovely as you look right now, I really should focus on..." he trailed off as Rose stood and began nibbling on his ear.

"Focus on what, Doctor?"

"Minx," he muttered as he pulled her flush onto his lap.

Rose giggled. Mission accomplished. She suspected she wouldn't be bored again for the next couple of hours... At least.

* * *

"So instead of just sneaking about the building, like we normally would, you want to get in a window cleaner's cradle and use that to investigate?" Rose asked. After all the employees had gone home for the night, she and the Doctor had snuck out of the closet and were making their way to the roof.

He huffed. "Think about how much time it will save us! We'll just lower the cradle and get a peek at each floor. See which one that Foster woman works in the most."

Rose sighed and heaved her body into the cradle. "I have a feeling that this is going to end badly."

"Don't be silly. What could possibly go wrong."

"You had to go and say that, didn't you?"

* * *

The Doctor slowly lowered the cradle till they got to Miss Foster's office window. When they saw the woman herself enter with another woman and two guards, both the Doctor and Rose ducked out of sight. With a finger to his lips, he pulled two stethoscopes out of his pocket and handed one to Rose.

Repeating his actions, she held the stethoscope of to the window and listened in on the conversation being had.

_"You can't tie me up," they heard the nameless woman say. "What sort of a country do you think this is?"_

_"Oh, it's a beautifully fat country. And believe me, I've travelled a long way to find obesity on this scale," Miss Foster replied._

_"So, come on then, Miss Foster, those pills. What are they?"_

_"Well, you might just as well have a scoop, since you'll never see it printed. This is the spark of life."_

_"And what's that supposed to mean?" the woman questioned._

_"Officially, the capsule attracts all the fat cells and flushes them away. Well, it certainly attracts them. That part's true. But it binds the fat together and galvanises it to form a body."_

_"What do you mean, a body?"_

_"I am surprised you never asked about my name. I chose it well. Foster. As in foster mother. And these are my children," Miss Foster told her as she pulled something out of her desk drawer. _

_"You're kidding me. What the hell is that?" _

__Both Rose and the Doctor maneuvered themselves to see in the window. What they saw sitting on the desk was a small marshmallow looking blob waving at the woman.

_"Adipose," Miss Foster answered. "It's called an Adipose. Made out of living fat."_

_"But I don't understand," the woman told her._

Suddenly, the Doctor felt Rose nudge him. He looked questioningly at her, but all she did was nod toward the office door. There, looking through another small window was none other than Donna Noble. The woman they had met, what felt like, ages ago, when she was transported into the TARDIS in the middle of her wedding. It had been a crazy adventure, one the Doctor wasn't sure he and Rose would have made it through if not for that fiery ginger.

"Donna?" he mouthed.

"Doctor? Doctor! Rose!" she mouthed back enthusiastically.

He looked between her and Rose. "But what? What? What?"

"Oh my god!"

Rose rolled her eyes and mouthed. "How?"

Donna pointed frantically at herself. "It's me!"

"Yes, we can see that," the Doctor responded.

"Oh, this is brilliant."

"What the hell are you doing there?"

Rose shoved him and mouthed, "Rude."

"I was looking for you two," Donna answered.

"What for?"

She began miming, "I read it on the internet. Weird. Crept along. Heard them talking. Hid. You."

Rose made a sudden STOP motion and pointed to Miss Foster, they all quickly realised that the two women in the office had watched the entire exchange.

"Are we interrupting you?" Miss Foster asked in mock politeness.

"Run!" the Doctor mouthed in what looked like a shout.

Miss Foster motioned for her guards. "Get her."

Whipping out the sonic screwdriver, the Doctor zapped the office door, locking it and trapping the guards.

"And him."

Meanwhile, Rose began pulling the cradle back up to the roof. "Told you this wouldn't end well," she said as the Doctor used the sonic to help her.

* * *

Once they made it inside the building, they quickly began running down the stairs in search of Donna, hoping to get to her before Miss Foster or her guards did. Thankfully, within seconds they ran right into her and immediately embraced.

"Oh, my God. I don't believe it. You've even got the same suit! Don't you ever change? At least Rose is wearing something different!" Donna proclaimed when they broke apart.

The Doctor sighed. He'd almost forgotten how blunt she could be. "Yeah, thanks, Donna. Not right now."

Rose made a shushing noise. "Do you hear that?"

The glanced down the window next to them. It was Miss Foster's guards, bounding up the stairs. The Doctor laughed and grabbed both Rose and Donna's hands. "Just like old times!"

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Partners in Crime Part 2**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	2. Partners in Crime Part 2

**A/N: Hi! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, if you celebrate. If not, I hope you all have/had a happy holiday season :) I'm sorry for the wait for this chapter. Things were insanely busy at my house this past week. But let me just say a huge thank you to my followers, to those who have already favorited this, and to everyone who has left such kind reviews. I adore you all. Enjoy part 2 of Partners in Crime!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Partners in Crime. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

Running for their lives once more, the Doctor began to lead them back up to the roof. Turning to Donna, Rose asked, "What are you even doing here? At Adipose... after hours?!"

"I'm investigating!" she answered gleefully as they reached the rooftop. "Because I thought, how do you find the Doctor and Rose? And then I just thought, look for trouble and then they'll turn up." She continued as the Doctor soniced the door shut and then began working on the window washer's cradle, "So I looked everywhere. You name it. UFOs, sightings, crop circles, sea monsters. I looked, I found them all. Like that stuff about the bees disappearing, I thought, I bet they're connected. Because the thing is, Doctor, I believe it all now. You two opened my eyes. All those amazing things out there, I believe them all. Well, apart from that replica of the Titanic flying over Buckingham Palace on Christmas Day. I mean, that's got to be a hoax."

Rose smirked. "Oh, yeah. Complete bullocks."

The Doctor stopped what he was doing and looked towards the ginger woman. "What do you mean, the bees are disappearing?"

"I don't know. That's what it says on the internet. Well, on the same site, there was all these conspiracy theories about Adipose Industries and I thought, let's take a look."

"In you get!" he said, once done working on the cradle.

"What, in that thing?"

"Yes, in that thing."

"Not again," Rose groaned.

"But if we go down in that, they'll just call us back up again," Donna stated.

"She makes a point, Doctor."

"No, no, no, because I've locked the controls with a sonic cage," he explained proudly. "I'm the only one that can control it. Not unless she's got a sonic device of her own, which is very unlikely."

Once the three were safely in, the slowly began to lower. "Sorry, Doctor, but what exactly are we doing in this thing again?" Rose questioned. Before he could answer, the cradle dropped suddenly and began to propel down at an alarming rate. Raising his screwdriver, he was able to stop their dissent. "Must have her own sonic device," she said, giving the Time Lord a pointed look.

"Yeah, yeah, we can all have a go at me later."

Donna looked around nervously, trying to figure out an escape plan. "What are we going to do!?"

Realising they were stopped in front of Miss Foster's office once more, the Doctor began sonicing the window. "Hold on. Hold on. We can get in through the window."

Noticing that the screwdriver was taking a lot longer than usual, Rose asked, "What's wrong?"

The Doctor turned and growled in frustration. "Can't get it open!"

"Well, smash it then!" Donna shouted as she picked a spanner up off the floor and began beating the window.

As Rose watched the pair in front of her pound on the glass (that clearly was not going to break), she started to hear a familiar buzzing sound. "Shhh! Wait, you two. Listen, listen."

Pausing, they both stopped and looked around. "She's cutting the cable!" Donna noticed right as one of the cables snapped, sending her flying out of the cradle. Rose immediately wrapped her arms around the still connected cable and watched in terror as the Doctor carefully scooted down, trying his best to reach the other woman.

"Donna!" he shouted.

"Doctor!" she replied, sending a wave of relief through the Doctor and Rose. She was still alive and hadn't fallen... yet.

"Hold on!" he instructed when he saw she was dangling by the end of the broken cable.

"I am!"

Rose continued to clutch her own cable tightly as she looked up, trying to discern what Miss Foster would do next. When she realised what the woman had planned, she yelled. "Doctor!"

Hearing Rose cry out in terror was never a pleasant experience for the Time Lord and almost certainly meant she was in immediate danger. After realising what was happening, he pulled out his sonic and stretched to hand it to Rose. "Stop her," he instructed.

Rose nodded, trusting that the device was set to the right setting, and pointed it directly at Miss Foster. Within seconds, she heard the woman cry out in pain and saw her drop her sonic pen. Holding on to the cable with one hand, the Doctor reached out as far as he could and caught Miss Foster's device before it could fall to the ground. Unable to reach the window they were in front of the Doctor called out, "Rose, it's time to put that gymnastic training to use. I need you to climb up! I'll be right behind you!"

Rose obediently began to climb the cable as she replied loudly, "For the record, I've been putting the gymnastic training to use every night!"

He smiled broadly. Leave it to Rose to retain her cheekiness even in life or death situations. "Ha! Too right!"

"Quit flirting. I'm going to fall!" Donna yelled at them. "What was I thinking? This is all your fault. I should've stayed at home."

Reaching the next window up, the Doctor easily slid it open and helped Rose inside, looking down at Donna he replied, "We won't be a minute!" Once inside, he immediately took Rose's hand and ran with her back down the stairs and towards Miss Foster's office.

"I know this is a really bad time, Donna's life is at stake and what not, but can I just tell you how much I've missed this!" Rose told him, breathless from all the running.

Pausing for the briefest moment, the Doctor pushed Rose against the wall and snogged her for all she was worth. "Me too," he said against her lips, before taking off again.

"Donna's gonna kill us!" She giggled.

"Our little secret." He winked.

* * *

When they reached the office, the Doctor immediately went for the window, where he could see Donna's dangling legs, and Rose went to the woman tied up in the chair.

"Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?" the woman asked frantically.

"Are you a journalist?" Rose asked, working on undoing the knots keeping her to the chair.

"Yes," she replied tersely.

"Just make something up. That's what you lot do, yeah?" Rose looked over and saw the Doctor had got the window and was desperately trying to grab Donna's kicking legs. "Get off," she heard the fiery red head snap. Abandoning the hopeless knots, she made her way next to the Doctor to try and help.

"I've got you. I've got you. Stop kicking!" he shouted.

Rose called out, "Donna, it's just the Doctor! Let 'im help you!"

Hearing Rose, Donna finally relaxed and let the Doctor pull her in. "I was right. It's always like this with you, innit?" she asked once inside, safe and sound.

"Oh, yes!" He smiled at her. "And off we go!"

"Oi!" the tied up woman cried as they began to exit.

The Doctor popped back in. "Sorry! Thought Rose had sorted you out." He soniced her bonds free. "Now do yourself a favour. Get out."

* * *

As they ran back through the call centre, the three turned a corner and ran straight into Miss Foster and her guards. "Well, then. At last," she stated calmly.

"Hello," Donna greeted in mock-friendliness.

The Time Lord nodded. "Nice to meet you, I'm the Doctor."

The blonde to his right waved. "I'm Rose."

"And I'm Donna," the other woman finished.

"Partners in crime." Miss Foster smirked. "And evidently off-worlders, judging by your sonic technology."

"Oh, yes," the Doctor reached in his pocket, "I've still got your sonic pen. Nice. I like it. Sleek. It's kind of sleek."

"Oh, it's definitely sleek," Donna agreed.

Rose shrugged. "I've seen better."

"Don't mind her," the Doctor whispered. "Just jealous she doesn't have one of her own." Ignoring Rose's snort, he continued, "But back to you Miss Foster, answer me this, if you were to sign your real name, that would be?"

"Matron Cofelia of the Five Straighten Classabindi Nursery Fleet. Intergalactic Class," she answered.

Recognition dawned on his face. "A wet nurse, using humans as surrogates."

"What seriously?" Rose looked between the Time Lord and the apparent wet nurse.

"I've been employed by the Adiposian First Family to foster a new generation after their breeding planet was lost," Miss Foster, or rather Matron Cofelia, explained.

"What do you mean lost? How do you lose a planet?" the Doctor questioned.

"Oh, politics are none of my concern. I'm just here to take care of the children on behalf of the parents."

"What, like an outer space super nanny?" Donna chimed in.

"Yes, if you like."

"So... So those little things, they're, they're made out of fat, yeah, but that woman, Stacy Campbell, there was nothing left of her."

"Oh, in a crisis the Adipose can convert bone and hair and internal organs. Makes them a little bit sick, poor things."

Rose and Donna gasped as the latter asked, "What about poor Stacy?"

"Seeding a level five planet is against galactic law," said the Doctor darkly.

The woman in front of them narrowed her eyes. "Are you threatening me?"

"I'm trying to help you, Matron. This is your one chance, because if you don't call this off, then I'll have to stop you."

"I hardly think you can stop bullets." With the, the guards flanking her raised the guns.

Raising his hands, the Doctor shifted his body in front of Rose's. "No, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. One more thing, before dying. Do you know what happens if you hold two identical sonic devices against each other?"

"No."

He grinned manically. "Nor me. Let's find out." Pushing his sonic screwdriver and the Matron's sonic pen together, he created a glass shattering sound, causing everyone but himself to grab their heads in pain.

Rose cried out, clutching her ears and squeezing her eyes shut. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard a wolf howling, and someone calling out her name. The voice was so familiar... One she would recognise anywhere...

"Come on!" Donna's voice broke through, as she pulled the Doctor and Rose away.

* * *

Running as fast as possible, the Doctor lead the ladies back to the storage closet he and Rose had been hiding in all day.

As he threw out various mops and buckets, Donna said, "Well, that's one solution. Hide in a cupboard. I like it."

The wall slid back to reveal the green machinery. "I've been hacking into this thing all day, because the Matron's got a computer core running through the centre of the building. Triple deadlocked. But now I've got this," he held up the sonic pen, "I can get into it. She's wired up the whole building. We need a bit of privacy." He held up two wires together, causing sparks.

"What did you do?" Rose asked.

"Stopped the guards that were coming after us." He peered at the machinery. "Why's she wired up the tower block? What's it all for?"

Donna observed the pair she had been searching for for so long. "You look older. You both do," she commented.

"Thanks," the Doctor replied with a hint of sarcasm. He knew where this was leading and this was not a discussion he wanted to have at the moment... Or ever for that matter.

"Still just you two travelling?"

"Yep. Well, no. We had this friend. Martha she was called. Martha Jones. She was brilliant. And I destroyed half her life. But she's fine, she's good. She's gone."

Rose cringed, trying desperately not to dwell on why Martha had left them. She decided to change the subject. "What about you, Donna? I thought you were going to travel the world?"

"Easier said then done. It's like I had that one day with you two, and I was going to change. I was going to do so much. Then I woke up the next morning, same old life. It's like you were never there. And I tried. I did try. I went to Egypt. I was going to go barefoot and everything. And then it's all bus trips and guidebooks and don't drink the water, and two weeks later you're back home. It's nothing like being with you. I must have been mad turning down that offer."

The Doctor frowned. "What offer?"

"To come with us," Rose whispered to him.

"Come with us?" he repeated questioningly.

Taking that as an invitation, Donna practically squealed. "Oh yes, please!"

He blinked. Unsure of what to say. "Right."

**"Inducer activated," **a computerised voice announced.

"What's it doing now?"

"She's started the programme."

**"Inducer transmitting,"** the computer continued.

Rose began biting her thumb. "What does that mean though? Is everyone taking the pills going to turn into those little fat babies?"

The Doctor examined the machine."So far they're just losing weight, but the Matron's gone up to emergency pathogenesis."

Donna nodded. "And that's when they convert..."

"Skeletons, organs, everything. A million people are going to die. Got to cancel the signal." He pulled the Adipose pendant out of his pocket and began dismantling it. "This contains a primary signal. If I can switch it off, the fat goes back to being just fat," he explained, attaching part of the pendant to the inducer.

**"Inducer increasing,"** the computer stated.

"No, no, no, no, no. She's doubled it. I need. Haven't got time. It's too far. I can't override it. They're all gonna die!"

"There's got to be a way to stop it!" Rose cried out, searching his face for answers.

"Is there anything I can do?" Donna asked, trying her best to stay calm.

He went back to the machine. "Sorry, Donna, this is way beyond you. Got to double the base pulse, I can't..."

"Doctor, tell me. What do you need?"

"I need a second capsule to boost the override, but I've only got the one. I can't save them," he told her, grabbing his hair in frustration.

With ease, Donna reached in her pocket and pulled out her own pendant, handing it over to the Doctor.

"Donna Noble, I could bloody kiss you!" Rose proclaimed throwing her arms around the other woman's neck.

She winked. "No thanks, blondie. You're not really my type."

The three breathed a sigh of relief as the Doctor used the second pendant to boost the override. Before they could utter another word though, the whole building shook as a loud noise made it's presence known above them.

"What the hell was that?" Donna asked bluntly.

"I think the nursery is here for pick up," the Doctor replied.

"When you say nursery you don't mean a crèche in Notting Hill."

"Nursery ship," he clarified.

Suddenly the machinery lit up once more. **"Incoming signal." **The Doctor listened carefully as a garbled voice came over the speaker.

Donna looked between him and Rose nervously. "Hadn't we better go and stop them?"

"Hang on." He held up his hand. "Instructions from the Adiposian First Family."

Rose scooted closer to the Time Lord. "What's being said? The TARDIS isn't translating."

"She's wired up the tower block to convert it into a levitation post," he muttered, not seeming to hear Rose. "Ooo. Oh. We're not the ones in trouble now. She is!" Immediately, he took off out of the cupboard with Rose and Donna right on his heels.

* * *

"What you going to do then? Blow them up?" Donna asked once they were back on the roof. All around them thousands of little adipose were being beamed up to the large spacecraft above them.

The Doctor shook his head. "They're just children. They can't help where they come from."

"Oh, that makes a change from last time. That Martha must've done you good."

"Things were different last time, Donna," Rose told her. "But, yeah. Martha was great."

The continued watching the little white blobs float up around them and even waved at a few. "I'm waving at fat," she said in disbelief.

"Actually, as a diet plan, it sort of works," the Doctor conceded.

"Doctor, look!" Rose called out, pointing towards Matron Cofelia, who was being beamed up as well. She paused when she was level with them.

"Matron Cofelia, listen to me," he started.

She shook her head. "Oh, I don't think so, Doctor. And if I never see you again, it'll be too soon."

"Oh, why does no one ever listen. I'm trying to help. Just get across to the roof. Can you shift the levitation beam?"

"What, so that you can arrest me?" the Matron questioned with a laugh.

"Just listen. I saw the Adiposian instructions. They know it's a crime, breeding on Earth. So what's the one thing they want to get rid of?" He stared straight at her. "Their accomplice."

"I'm far more than that. I'm nanny to all these children."

"Exactly! Mum and Dad have got the kids now. They don't need the nanny anymore." Suddenly, as if sensing his words, the levitation beam cut off. Matron Cofelia made eye contact for the briefest of moments before plummeting to her death.

Rose and Donna both leaned into the Doctor, cringing at the sound of her body landing.

* * *

When they made it back downstairs and in front of the building, the Doctor pulled the Matron's sonic pen out of his pocket. Snapping it in half, he threw it in a rubbish bin.

"Oi! I could have used that," Rose said, smacking his shoulder.

He threw his arm around her waist. "Thought you'd seen better?"

She sniffed. "Well, I have. But since you won't make me my own screwdriver-"

"Oi, you three," the journalist they had encountered earlier called, interrupting her. "You are all just mad. Do you hear me? Mad! And I'm going to report you for... madness!"

"Didn't we untie her?" Rose asked when she saw that the woman was tied to another chair.

Donna saddled up next to them. "You see, some people just can't take it."

"No," the Doctor agreed.

"And some people can. So, then. TARDIS! Come on!"

* * *

"That's my car!" Donna exclaimed when the Doctor led her to the alley he had parked the TARDIS in. "That is like destiny. And I've been ready for this." She flipped open the boot of her car and began pulling out various suitcases. "I packed ages ago, just in case. Because I thought, hot weather, cold weather, no weather. They goes anywhere. I've gotta be prepared."

Rose watched as Donna began piling the Doctor's arms with her luggage. A part of her was thrilled with the prospect of having Donna travelling with them. As much as she enjoyed just being with the Doctor, it was nice to have someone else around. Someone to share the wonders of the Universe with. But does Donna really know what she was getting in to? Martha thought she did, but had been so wrong.

"You've got a, a hatbox," the Doctor stated suddenly as Donna topped off the pile in his arms.

"Planet of the Hats, I'm ready. I don't need injections, do I? You know, like when you go to Cambodia. Is there any of that? Because my friend Veena went to Bahrain, and she- You're not saying much."

The Doctor gently put the luggage down and made eye contact with Rose. He could feel her excitement and trepidation of having Donna along with them. He needed to try to explain. "No, it's just. It's a funny old life, in the TARDIS."

"You don't want me," she said dejectedly.

"I'm not saying that."

"But you asked me... Would you rather be on your own?"

"That's not it at all, Donna," Rose chimed in. "You just need to know what you're getting in to. Things got complicated with Martha, there at the end. He wasn't exaggerating when he said that part of her life was destroyed, thought I disagree with his claim of it being his fault." She gave a pointed look to the man on her left. "You need to truly understand the risks before you come with us. Because, as wonderful and amazing as the Universe can be, it's not always kind. And there's a good possibility you or someone you love might be hurt. Or even killed."

Donna took a deep breath. "I understand. I really do. But it's a risk I've got to take. Cause you two, you always swan in and save the day and make this world a better place. I want to be a part of that too. I need to."

The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and squeezed. "I think that can be arranged. We would love for you to come with us, Donna. We'd really like a mate."

She took a step backwards. "You just want to mate?"

"We just want _a_ mate!" he tried clarifying.

"You're not mating with me, sunshine! That's why you two have each other. And don't try telling me it's not like that with you two, cause I ain't stupid. You telling me you hacked into the computer thing all day... HA! Then why were there a pair of pink lacy knickers hanging off the top of those mops?!"

Rose blushed and covered her face in embarrassment. "Oh my god."

"_A_ mate. I want_ a_ mate," the Doctor sputtered.

"Well, just as well, because I'm not having any of that nonsense," she scolded. "I mean, you're just a long streak of nothing. You know, alien nothing. How Rose stands it, I'll never know."

He looked at her, offended. "She stands it just fine, thank you very much!"

"Please, please, please can we stop talking about this," Rose said in exasperation. "Let's just get Donna's luggage inside and get going."

Donna's eyes widened. "I can come?"

The Doctor smiled. "Yeah. Course you can, yeah. I'd love it."

"Me too," Rose concurred.

"Oh, that's just-" She went to hug them, but paused. "Car keys."

"What?" he asked.

"I've still got my mum's car keys. I won't be a minute."

As Donna raced off, Rose helped the Doctor carry the suitcases inside. "It'll be nice having someone with us again," Rose said.

"You sure you're okay with it?" he asked as the last of the bags made it to the control room.

"Yeah. I'm actually really excited. Besides, I think I'm doing a lot better. Definitely ready to get back to our old lives."

He pulled her in for a hug and rested his chin on her head, "You'll tell me if things start to become too much, right?"

"Of course," she answered dutifully. Pulling back she looked him in the eyes. "Doctor, before when we were inside and you held your screwdriver against the sonic pen... did you hear anything unusual?"

"Besides the awful noise it created?" She nodded. "Not that I can recall. Why?"

"It's just, for a moment there, I thought I heard a howl. A wolf's howl. And on top of that someone was calling my name."

Fear nestled in the Doctor's chest. Logically, he knew the Master was dead. He held the other Time Lord until he took his last breath and then personally burnt the body. So it couldn't be him. But who? And why did she hear a wolf?... "Did you recognise the voice?"

"Yes. It sounded like-" She shook her head. "God, you're going to think I'm daft."

"I promise I won't. Tell me."

"It sounded like Mickey."

He exhaled in relief. At least it wasn't a threat. "Rose," he started.

"I know it's not possible! I know that, Doctor. But I would recognise his voice anywhere. It sounded like he was looking for me or something. Like he couldn't find me."

"The walls are closed, Rose," the Doctor told her gently, not wanting to get her hopes up. "The TARDIS would tell us otherwise."

She crossed her arms defensively. "So you're just saying I'm imagined it."

"No! The fact that you heard a wolf howl is cause enough for concern, but I don't know what to tell you. I don't have an answer."

"So we just ignore it?"

"That's the only thing I can think of, cause like I said, the TARDIS would inform us if the walls were collapsing. If it happens again though-"

"I know, I know. Tell you right away."

He leaned forward and kissed her softly. "You know I believe you, right?"

She nodded and leaned against his chest. "I do."

Just then Donna came running into the TARDIS. "Off we go, then."

The Doctor held his arms out. "Here it is. The TARDIS. It's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside."

"Oh, I know that bit. Although frankly, you could turn the heating up."

Rose laughed before asking, "So, Donna, where in all of time and space would you like to go?"

"Oh, I know exactly the place."

The Doctor quirked an eyebrow. "Which is?"

"Two and a half miles that way." She pointed to her left.

A minute later they were flying directly over a hill so Donna could wave goodbye to her grandfather. Donna knew in that instant, she would never forget the look of excitement on the older man's face. And she would treasure it always.

* * *

Mickey Smith shook his head as the ginger haired woman told him something about car keys in a bin. He rolled his eyes as she ran off. Sorry to that Sylvia lady, but he wouldn't be around to give the message. Already he could feel Control pulling him back.

So close. He had been so close.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Fires of Pompeii**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	3. The Fires of Pompeii Part 1

**A/N: Hello all! Many thanks to my followers, those who have favorited, and to those who have reviewed! I guys are the best. The Fires of Pompeii is one of my favourite episodes from series four, so I've really enjoyed rewriting it with Rose. I hope you enjoy it as well!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode The Fires of Pompeii. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

It had been a long time since the Doctor had acted secretive towards Rose. But here he was, being his old shifty Time Lord self. As soon as Donna had finished waving goodbye to her grandfather, the Doctor had asked Rose to give Donna the grand tour and find her a room while he checked over a few things. When Rose asked what exactly was wrong (she knew it was nothing serious. After all, she and the time ship were connected), he him-hawed and gave her some half-hearted response about adjusting the extension time control regulator. Honest to goodness, Rose doubted that was a real thing, but let him tinker in peace. Perhaps Matron Cofelia's death was weighing heavily on his mind and he just needed some space. Perhaps.

Either way, Rose had toured Donna around the TARDIS, warned her that the halls may not always lead to the same place, and finally got her settled in a room. After both women changed out of their "work" garments and in to something a bit more comfortable, they convened in the small TARDIS kitchen for some tea and biscuits.

* * *

Donna watched as Rose puttered around the kitchen and took in the changes that had taken place since the last time they'd met. There was a hardness about her that hadn't been there before. And just around the edges, when she thought the Doctor wasn't looking, there was something else. Something frightening. It didn't bother Donna, didn't make her think any less of the blonde woman. No, instead she wanted to help her. Wrap her up in a blanket, feed her a hearty meal, and perhaps be that listening ear she needed. Oh, she knew Rose had the Doctor, but sometimes you needed to talk to another woman.

"How long has it been for you two since we last saw each other?" she asked suddenly.

Rose finished pouring their tea, and carried over a plate of biscuits. "How long has it been for you?" she countered, setting their spread on the table.

"Little over a year, but I think you could have guessed that."

"Time's a tricky thing, Donna. And the Doctor and I would have different answers, but I think it's easier to just say somewhere around three years. Depending on how you look at it."

"Three years!?" Donna gaped.

Rose smirked. "Sort of."

"How'd you mean?"

"It's not something I'm really ready to talk about to be honest. Let's just say that the Doctor and I were separated for a bit and bad things happened."

Donna put her mug down and rested her hand atop Rose's. "I'm sorry. I'm here, if you ever need an ear."

"Thank you, Donna," she told her sincerely. "I may just take you up on that sometime."

"So, you and the Doctor?"

"What about us?"

"Thought you told me before that you two were just friends?"

"We were." Rose blushed.

Donna raised her eyebrows. "And now you two are...?"

"We're together. Don't really know if there's a name for what we are, just that we are."

"Think he might propose anytime soon?"

The blonde practically choked on her tea. "The Doctor? Married? Not bloody likely. I think that would just be a bit too domestic for him. Besides, I don't need all that. I know we're committed to one another and we always will be."

"But what about you Rose?" Donna leaned forward and asked. "You can't tell me that you never once throughout your life thought and dreamed about getting married."

"Sure I did." She shrugged. "But my dreams changed when I ran away with a nine hundred year old alien."

"Hmmm."

"How about you, Donna? Have you dated anyone since-"

"No," she cut her off, not really comfortable with the subject of her former fiance, Lance. "I mean, I've gone a couple dates here and there, but nothing that really stuck. Besides, my dad passed about six months ago and I've been focused more on helping my mum out than finding a new husband."

It was Rose's turn to offer comfort as she copied Donna and rested her hand on the other woman's. "Oh, I'm so sorry. How did he die?"

"Lung cancer. The doctors caught it too late and he was only with us for a few more months. It was rough, but he was pretty miserable during that time, so I'm glad he didn't suffer for long."

"That must have been difficult for your mother."

"It was, but she did what she does best and carried on." She yawned. "Well then, it's been a rather tiring day. Think I might get some sleep before the Doctor takes us somewhere. Will my room be where I left it?"

Rose brushed her hand across the wall. "She'll be kind to you. Just go back the way you came."

As Donna made her leave, Rose rinsed out there mugs and set about making the Doctor his own cuppa and delivered it to the control room when she had finished.

"Here," she said quietly so not to disturb him as he leaned over the monitor, studying it intently. "Brought you some tea."

He turned and accepted the mug gratefully. "Ta."

"You gonna come to bed or are you gonna keep pretending you're fixing something?" she asked boldly, but not unkindly.

His shoulders slumped. "Can't keep anything from you, can I?" He took her hand and sat with her to the jump seat. "I was checking for any cracks."

"You mean in the walls between universes?" He nodded. "And?"

"Nothing I can find, though the TARDIS keeps resetting the search, which is a bit odd. Don't think it's anything suspicious though."

"I appreciate you looking," she kissed his cheek, "but clearly I was wrong about what I heard. So why don't you quite fiddling with the TARDIS, since I know there's nothing wrong with the Old Girl, and come to bed with me."

"I'm not really very tired," he told her truthfully.

"But I am. Read to me till I fall asleep?"

* * *

The next morning (or what she assumed to be morning) proved to be an odd experience for Donna Noble. It had taken her a few minutes, upon waking, to remember where exactly she was. It was with a smile on her face when she recalled finally finding the Doctor and Rose the previous evening. After taking a quick shower in her en-suite and putting on a comfortable, yet stylish outfit (you never know who you might meet in space!), Donna followed the path she had taken last night and made her way back to the kitchen. There waiting for her on the table was hot cup of coffee, prepared just the way she liked it, and a steaming pile of pancakes with various toppings. She was going to assume it had been Rose who prepared the breakfast for her (though how she knew the way she took her coffee was a bit of a mystery), because she couldn't imagine the Doctor cooking. And even though Rose and the Doctor both explained that the blue box was alive, the thought that it might make her food just seemed a bit too out there. Best not to dwell on it too much.

After finishing her morning meal, she made her way to the control room, praying she was going the right way. There she found the Doctor and Rose circling around the console, clearly flirting. And if the pink tint on Rose's cheeks was anything to go by, the Doctor was saying something particularly inappropriate. She cleared her throat loudly before the couple ripped each other's clothes off and began shagging against one of the coral struts.

"Donna!" the Doctor's voice squeaked in surprise. "Blimey, you're quiet. Almost as quiet as the Tuanowee ninjas on the plant Taun. And trust me, that is a high compliment. Course the reason they might be so quiet could be do to the fact the they don't actually walk, they fly. Well, I say fly, but it's more like float. And furthermore-"

Donna rolled her eyes. "Oh, god, is he always like this first thing in the morning?"

Rose giggled. "He's always like this period."

"Hey!" He looked at her, offended.

"Thanks for breakfast by the way," Donna told the other woman. "Best pancakes I've ever had. Where'd you get that recipe? And how'd you know how I took my coffee?"

"That wasn't me. That was all the Doctor," Rose informed.

"What? Seriously?" She turned to the pinstriped clad alien. "You know how to cook?"

He sniffed and straightened his lapels. "I know how to do a great many things. As for the recipe, Julia Child and I once had a marvellous brekkie together and I may have helped improve a couple of her recipes."

"Riiight. What about my coffee then?"

"Rose told me how you took your tea, based on that I took a guess on your coffee."

She shook her head. "But I don't take them the same way."

"I know."

"Then how did you... You know what? Never mind. I don't want to know."

"Probably best that way." Rose patted her shoulder. "So, Donna, have you given any thought as to where you'd like to go first?"

"Anywhere you'd like," the Doctor said gleefully. "Weeelll, within reason."

"Somewhere in the past, I think," she answered.

The Time Lord began settling controls. "Good choice. Planet Earth or someplace different."

"Think I'd like to stick to Earth for my first go. Besides, not like I'd be able to tell what time we'd be in on another planet."

"Very well. Have a particular time or place in mind?"

"Oh, I don't know!" She laughed. "Just surprise me."

* * *

After a surprisingly smooth landing, the Doctor shrugged on his coat and made his way to the front door. "You coming?" he asked when he saw Donna standing nervously by the console.

"What?" She looked startled. "Yeah. Course, I am. Just trying to wrap my head around all this!"

Rose nudged her shoulder. "I know it can be a bit overwhelming at first, but I promise, you're gonna love it."

She nodded. "Absolutely. Come on then, Doctor, lead the way!"

* * *

Stepping out of the TARDIS, the Doctor brushed aside a curtain and announced, "Ancient Rome. Well, not for them, obviously. To all intents and purposes, right now, this is brand new Rome." Before them was a street lined with vendors on a warm sunny day.

"Oh, my God." Donna stepped forward and circled around the street. It's, it's so Roman. This is fantastic." She threw her arms around the Doctor, embracing him tightly and causing him to give a proud chuckle.

Rose smiled at the scene. She forgot how wonderful it was watching someone experience the wonders of having time and space at their disposal. "So, Donna, tell us what you really think," she said with a wink.

They continued walking as Donna answered with, "I'm here, in Rome. Donna Noble in Rome. This is just weird. I mean, everyone here's dead."

"Well, don't tell them that," the Doctor told her.

"Hold on a minute." She paused and pointed over the Doctor's shoulder. "That sign over there's in English. Are you having me on? Are we in Epcot?"

"That's just the TARDIS," Rose explained. "She translates alien or foreign languages for you. That sign just looks like English. She translates your speech as well. You're speaking in Latin right now."

"Seriously?" They nodded. "I just said seriously in Latin?"

"Oh, yeah," the Doctor said as they continued their walk.

"What if I said something in actual Latin, like veni, vidi, vici? My dad said that when he came back from football. If I said veni, vidi, vici to that lot, what would it sound like?"

"I'm not sure. You have to think of difficult questions, don't you?" He turned to Rose. "I don't remember you asking so many questions."

Rose just laughed as Donna stated, "I'm going to try it," before stepping up to one of the fruit sellers.

"Afternoon, sweetheart. What can I get you, my love?" the stall holder questioned.

"Uh, veni, vidi, vici."

"Huh? Sorry? Me no speak Celtic," he said slowly. "No can do, missy."

"Yeah." Donna smiled politely and went back to her travelling companions. "How's he mean, Celtic?"

The Doctor made a face. "Welsh. You sound Welsh. There we are. Learnt something."

As they went to walk away, Rose felt something on the back of her neck. A tingling, as if they were being watched. When she turned around though, there was no one to be found. Shrugging it off, she stepped quickly to catch up with the other two.

"Don't our clothes look a bit odd?" Donna asked a few minutes later.

"Nah," the Doctor exclaimed. "Ancient Rome, anything goes. It's like Soho, but bigger."

"You've been here before then?"

"Mmm. Ages ago." He shared a knowing look with Rose. "Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me. Well, a little bit. But I haven't got the chance to look around properly. Coliseum, Pantheon, Circus Maximus. You'd expect them to be looming by now. Where is everything? Try this way."

As they came out into a piazza, Donna scanned the surrounding area. "Not an expert, but there's seven hills of Rome, aren't there? How come they've only got one?"

As if on cue, the ground began shaking as violent earthquake made itself known. "Here we go again!" a man shouted as the local vendors held tightly to their stalls, trying to save their wares.

It dawned on Donna suddenly, her lessons from school coming back to her. "Wait a minute. One mountain, with smoke. Which makes this..."

The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and clutched it tightly. "Pompeii. We're in Pompeii. And it's volcano day."

* * *

They ran. They ran as fast as they could because this was wrong. They should NOT be in Pompeii. The Doctor would never purposefully go to that location (at least not so close to it's fateful demise). The TARDIS had been so good lately about arriving at the correct location, so why did She decide now of all times to land them someplace else. There was nothing he could do. He couldn't save these people. The destruction of Pompeii and the death of it's citizens was fixed.

Just behind that curtain and they could finally get out-

"You're kidding. You're not telling me the TARDIS has gone!?" Donna asked, when they found the alcove they had parked in empty.

"Okay," the Doctor conceded.

"Where is it then?"

"You told me not to tell you!"

"Oi! Don't get clever in Latin."

"She can't be far. I would know. I would know," Rose repeated, twisting her hands nervously. The thought of a missing TARDIS was never a pleasant experience for her.

"Hold on," he instructed as he skidded over to the fruit seller Donna spoke to earlier. "Excuse me. Excuse me. There was a box. Big blue box. Big blue wooden box, just over there. Where's it gone?"

"Sold it, didn't I?" The man grinned proudly.

"But it wasn't yours to sell!"

"It was on my patch, weren't it? I got fifteen sesterces for it. Lovely jubbly."

"Who'd you sell it to?" the Doctor demanded.

"Old Caecilius. Look, if you want to argue, why don't you take it out with him? He's on Foss Street." He nodded forward. "Big villa. Can't miss it..."

"Thanks!" He turned to run off, but came back after taking a few steps. "What'd he buy a big blue wooden box for?!"

"What does it matter?" Rose practically screeched, her nerves on edge.

"Sorry, sorry. Right, let's go!" He turned around, but only saw Rose. "Where'd Donna go?"

"Took off that way," she answered.

The Doctor sighed and took off in the direction Rose pointed. "Did we forget to tell her rule number one?"

* * *

Thankfully, they didn't have to search long. After turning one corner, and subsequently locating Foss street, they practically ran right into the ginger woman. "Ha. We've got it. Foss Street's this way!" the Doctor told her.

Donna shook her head. "No. Well, I found this big sort of amphitheatre thing. We can start there. We can gather everyone together. Maybe they've got a great big bell or something we could ring. Have they invented bells yet?"

He looked at her confused. "What do you want a bell for?"

"To warn everyone. Start the evacuation. What time does Vesuvius erupt? When's it due?"

He had already done the math in his head and answered immediately, "It's 79AD, twenty third of August, which makes volcano day tomorrow."

"Plenty of time. We could get everyone out easy."

The Doctor grabbed her arm and tried leading her away. "Yeah, except we're not going to."

Rose felt her stomach drop. She knew what Donna was thinking, what she wanted to do, and she would be lying if she said that the same thought hadn't initially crossed her mind. But they couldn't change this. She didn't have to be a Time Lord to know that what happened to Pompeii was a fixed point in time. Rose had learned the hard way what happened when you tried to alter something like that.

Unaware of the turmoil her friends were both feeling, Donna continued, "But that's what you do. You're the Doctor. You save people."

"Not this time. Pompeii is a fixed point in history. What happens, happens. There is no stopping it," he explained urgently.

She grabbed his arm and kept him from moving. "Says who?"

"Says me."

"What, and you're in charge?"

"TARDIS, Time Lord, yeah," he listed while Rose could practically see the tension rolling off him in waves.

"Donna, human, no. I don't need your permission. I'll tell them myself," Donna snapped.

Rose stepped in front of her. "Donna, you can't do that! Do you honestly think they'll believe ya?"

"You stand in the market place announcing the end of the world, they'll just think you're a mad old soothsayer. Now, come on. TARDIS. We are getting out of here," the Doctor said in anger as he stalked off towards Foss street.

Donna scoffed and called out, "Well, I might just have something to say about that, Spaceman!"

"Oh, I bet you will!" he shouted back.

* * *

The three entered the villa they had been pointed towards just as another earthquake shook the ground. Just in the nick of time, the Doctor stepped forward and grabbed a large, marble bust that was about to topple to the floor. "Whoa! There you go."

"Thank you, kind sir," the man they assumed to be Caecilius greeted when the shaking finsihed. "I'm afraid business is closed for the day. I'm expecting a visitor."

The Doctor reached forward and shook his hand. "But that's me, I'm a visitor. Hello," he said, stepping into the further into the villa.

"Who are you?"

"I am... Spartacus," he answered, ignoring the groan Rose issued.

"And so am I," Donna agreed.

Caecilius nodded. "Mr. and Mrs. Spartacus."

"Oh no, no, no. We're not, we're not married," the Doctor denied.

Donna shook her head frantically. "We're not together."

"Oh, then brother and sister? Yes, of course. You look very much alike."

The both looked at each other. "Really?"

Rose just sighed at stepped forward, offering her hand. "I'm Rose, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, my dear," he took her hand, "but I'm sorry, I'm not open for trade."

The Doctor peered behind the man. "And that trade would be?"

"Marble. Lopus Caecilius. Mining, polishing and design thereof. If you want marble, I'm your man."

"That's good. That's good, because I'm the marble inspector," the Time Lord said, flashing his psychic paper.

"By the gods of commerce, an inspection," the other woman in the room muttered as she grabbed a goblet out of a young man's hand. "I'm sorry, sir. I do apologise for my son."

"Oi!" the boy whinged.

Caecilius looked at them sheepishly. "And this is my good wife, Metella. I must confess, we're not prepared for a-"

"Nothing to worry about," the Doctor assured. "I'm, I'm sure you've nothing to hide. Although, frankly, that object looks rather like wood to me." He moved his way towards where the TARDIS resided on the other side of the villa.

"I told you to get rid of it," Metella said through grit teeth.

"I only bought it today," the marble traded informed.

"Ah, well. Caveat emptor," he commented in Latin, glad to have his ship back in his sights.

"Oh, you're Celtic. There's lovely."

"I'm sure it's fine, but I might have to take it off your hands for a proper inspection."

"Although while we're here," Donna injected, "wouldn't you recommend a holiday, Spartacus?"

"Donna," Rose warned just loud enough for her to hear.

The Doctor gave her a pointed look. "Don't know what you mean, Spartacus."

"Oh, this lovely family. Mother and father and son. Don't you think they should get out of town?" she asked, giving the Doctor the same look right back.

Rose grabbed her wrist. "Please stop," she whispered.

"Why should we do that?" Caecilius asked curiously.

Donna held back an eye roll. "Well, the volcano, for starters."

"What?"

"Volcano."

"What ano?"

"That great big volcano right on your doorstep," she said in exasperation.

"Oh, Spartacus, for shame. We haven't even greeted the household gods yet." The Doctor grabbed her shoulders and led her to the small shrine in the nearest alcove. Rose gave their hosts a small grin and followed her companions. "They don't know what it is. Vesuvius is just a mountain to them. The top hasn't blown off yet. The Romans haven't even got a word for volcano. Not until tomorrow," she heard him explain.

"Oh, great, they can learn a new word as they die," Donna stated dramatically.

"Stop it," he demanded in a low tone.

"Listen, I don't know if Rose let's ya bully her or what sort of kids you've been flying round with in outer space, but you're not telling me to shut up. That boy, how old is he, sixteen? And tomorrow he burns to death."

"And that's my fault?"

"Right now, yes!"

Rose gasped. "Don't you dare blame him for this," she practically growled.

Suddenly, cutting off any further conversation, a man's voice announced, "Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus, Chief Augur of the City Government." With that a cloaked, middle aged man entered the villa.

"Lucius," Caecilius greeted. "My pleasure, as always. A rare and great honour, sir, for you to come to my house," he continued over his wife ordering his son to stand.

Lucius ignored the hand being offered to him and instead said, "The birds are flying north, and the wind is in the west."

"Quite. Absolutely. That's good, is it?"

"Only the grain of wheat knows where it will grow."

"What's he going on about?" Rose whispered to the Doctor. He didn't answer right away, instead watching this family's interactions with this new man.

"There now, Metella. Have you ever heard such wisdom?" their host asked of his wife.

"Never. It's an honour," she replied.

"Pardon me, sir. I have guests. This is Rose and Spartacus and... uh... Spartacus."

"A name is but a cloud upon a summer wind," Lucius told them.

"But the wind is felt most keenly in the dark," the Doctor countered.

"And there we go," Rose said with a sigh.

"Ah." He stepped closer. "But what is the dark, other than an omen of the sun?"

"I concede that every sun must set," the Time Lord started.

"Ha!"

He ignored this. "And yet the son of the father must also rise."

"Damn," Lucius exclaimed, though showed no enthusiasm. "Very clever, sir. Evidently, a man of learning."

The Doctor grinned proudly. "Oh, yes. But don't mind me. Don't want to disturb the status quo."

Rose snorted. "Since when?"

"He's Celtic," Caecilius mock-whispered.

"Well now that that's done, we should probably be going," Rose said politely, knowing they were wasting precious time.

The Doctor nodded, and took Donna's shoulder's as they walked towards the TARDIS. "I'm not going," the fiery red-head denied.

"You've got to," he told her.

"Well, I'm not," she said stubbornly.

Rose was just glad they were finally leaving. She felt on edge here, her nerves raw. Whether it was her own knowledge of what was to come, or the effects of what the TARDIS might be feeling, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that she wanted to go. Now. Behind them she heard Caecilius and Lucius discussing something as the former dramatic voice broke through with, "The moment of revelation. And here it is!"

The three travellers turned around as Caecilius revealed a large stone tile carved as a modern looking circuit board.

Rose made eye contact with the Doctor and knew exactly what was going through his head. "Of course," she muttered under her breath as the Doctor stepped away from the TARDIS and towards a new adventure. She remembered the time they first met Captain Jack and his words floated through her mind...

"Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for volcano day."

Well she certainly hoped the Doctor had his alarm set and ready.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Fires of Pompeii Part 2**_

**Please review! I love to hear your thoughts. xoxo**


	4. The Fires of Pompeii Part 2

**A/N: Big thanks to my followers, to those who have favourited, and to everyone who has taken the time to review. I adore every single one of you. I just loved rewriting this episode and I hope you enjoy it as well :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode The Fires of Pompeii. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

Rose followed the Doctor and Donna, a few steps behind, as they went to get a better look at Caecilius's newest marble creation. "Exactly as you specified. It pleases you, sir?" he asked of Lucius.

"As the rain pleases the soil," the pompous man responded.

The Doctor crossed his arms as he got a good look at the marble slab. Definitely too advanced for this day and age. "Oh, now that's different. Who designed that, then?"

"My Lord Lucius was very specific," Caecilius answered.

"Where'd you get the pattern?"

Lucius turned to him. "On the rain and mist and wind."

"But that looks like a circuit," Donna injected.

"Made of stone," the Doctor whispered, making a face.

Rose peeked around the his shoulder. "How is that even possible?"

Donna wondered the same thing and loudly asked, "Do you mean you just dreamt that thing up?"

"That is my job, as City Augur," Lucius said proudly.

"What's that, then, like the mayor?"

The Doctor smiled at their hosts and gave a nervous chuckle. "Oh, ha. You must excuse my friend, she's from Barcelona." He pulled Donna and Rose a few steps away to explain. "No, but this is an age of superstition. Of official superstition. The Augur is paid by the city to tell the future. The wind will blow from the west? That's the equivalent of ten o'clock news."

Rose nodded. After travelling with the Doctor for as long as she had, this wasn't her first time coming across a civilisation that believed in such things. "And everyone just goes with it, yeah?"

Before the Doctor could confirm, a young female voice proclaimed, "They're laughing at us. Those three, they use words like tricksters. They're mocking us." They turned and saw a young, sickly woman, who seemed no older than sixteen, enter the room.

"No, no, I'm not. I meant no offence," the Doctor said quickly, with Rose and Donna nodding in agreement.

Metella rushed to the girl's side, placing a supportive arm around her weak frame. "I'm sorry," she apologised. "My daughter's been consuming the vapours."

"Oh for gods, Mother. What have you been doing to her?" her son asked in anger.

"Not now, Quintus," Caecilius scolded.

"Yeah, but she's sick. Just look at her!"

Lord Lucius stepped forward and faced the young girl. "I gather I have a rival in this household. Another with the gift."

"Oh, she's been promised to the Sibylline Sisterhood. They say she has remarkable visions," Metella praised, like any mother would.

"The prophecies of women are limited and dull. Only the menfolk have the capacity for true perception."

Donna and Rose both scoffed, while the former muttered, "I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate." A small tremor was felt as soon as she finished.

"The Mountain God marks your words. I'd be careful, if I were you," he warned.

The Doctor observed as Metella held her daughter tightly through the small quake. "Consuming the vapours, you say?"

"They give me strength," the girl answered breathlessly.

"It doesn't look like it to me."

"Is that your opinion as a doctor?"

He frowned. "I beg your pardon?"

She leaned forward, almost tipping out of her mother's embrace. "Doctor. That's your name."

"How did you know that?"

"And you," she nodded towards Donna. "You call yourself Noble."

"Now then, Evelina. Don't be rude," Metella reprimanded, with a hint of nervousness.

The Doctor shared an intriguing look with Rose, clearly this girl, Evelina, had some sort of gift. The mysteries of Pompeii deepened by the second. "No, no, no, no. Let her talk."

"You come from so far away," Evelina stated.

"The female soothsayer is inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries," Lord Lucius announced, clearly put out at being upstaged.

The Doctor quirked his head. "Oh, not this time, Lucius. No, I reckon you've been out-soothsayed."

"Is that so," he turned and looked directly at the Doctor, "man from Gallifrey?"

"Where did you hear that name?" Rose asked, stepping forward, feeling a surge of protectiveness wash over her. It was strange, she always wanted the Doctor safe, but this was different. This was a feeling so strong, she couldn't quite place it as her own. She felt a familiar hum in the back of her mind... the TARDIS.

Lucius ignored her and kept his attention on the Time Lord as tremors continued to shake the ground beneath their feet. "The strangest of images. Your home is lost in fire, is it not?"

"Doctor, what are they doing?" Donna questioned, clearly becoming frightened.

The Augur shifted his gaze to her. "And you, daughter of London."

"How does he know that?"

"This is the gift of Pompeii. Every single oracle tells the truth."

"That's impossible," she said stubbornly.

"Doctor," he started to say, but was interrupted by Rose's shout.

"Enough! No more."

Lucius narrowed his eyes at her. "What right have you to declare no more? Ah... You burn with the heart of Time. And look, just there... There is something of the Wolf in you. Your pack is returning."

The Doctor felt both his hearts drop when he saw Rose's eyes turn gold in retaliation to this soothsayer's prophecy, he made to step forward, but stopped when she held out her hand in warning.

"And what of you, little Lucius?" she stated, her voice reminiscent of her time as the Bad Wolf. "The young boy so scared and alone? Abandoned by his mother, unloved by his father. The whispers of the mighty, your only friends. But those whispers will be your downfall, Lucius Petrus Dextrus. The Doctor will see to that."

Lucius was clearly shaken by Rose's proclamation, but tried to act as if it was nothing. "Is that so? You better watch out for the daughter of London."

Donna grabbed the Doctor's arm tightly. "Me? Does he mean me?"

Lucius pinned her with his gaze. "There is something on your back."

"Even the word Doctor is false," Evelina said suddenly, pushing out of her mother's arms. She stepped closer to the Doctor. "Your real name is hidden. It burns in the stars, in the Cascade of Medusa herself. You are a Lord, sir. A Lord of Time." As a final great tremor shook around them, her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

"Evelina!" her mother cried, as the Doctor knelt down to examine her.

Rose gasped as the burning sensation receded quickly from her mind, leaving her feeling cold and empty. She grasped Donna, with tears prickling her eyes. "D-Donna?"

"Rose? What the hell was that about?" she asked quietly, so not to disturb the others.

"I don't... I don't know."

* * *

As the ruckus calmed, Lord Lucius made a quick exit, taking his marble circuit with him. When the Doctor announced that Evelina was merely exhausted and needed rest, Caecilius and Quintus carried her off to her private chambers to recuperate. Wanting to feel of some use, and sensing the Doctor needed to speak to Rose alone, Donna offered to help Metella gather some cool water and rags, to bathe Evelina's face.

Silently thanking the ginger woman for the privacy she was allowing them, the Doctor pulled Rose off to a small corner and embraced her tightly. "You have got to stop doing that," he scolded lightly.

"I really didn't mean to do anything," she told him truthfully. "It was like one minute I was my normal self, and the next I could feel the TARDIS overwhelm my mind. She was so angry, Doctor."

"What do you mean?" He pulled back.

"I don't know. None of this is right. There's something very wrong in Pompeii. I'm scared," she admitted, her voice sounding smaller than he'd heard it in a long time.

He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, now. We'll fix this, yeah? You, me, and Donna. It'll all be alright."

"Did everyone see me go all Bad Wolf?"

"No. They heard you, but the only ones who saw your eyes were Lucius, Donna, and myself."

"That's good. The others would probably think I was a demon or something if they saw."

He chuckled lightly. "Nah. No one could ever think Rose Tyler was a demon."

"Ha! Remember that time you took me to Fraxatome and you failed to tell me that on that planet, legend said that all demons from the underworld had shiny yellow hair?"

"Fine. The only way anyone could ever think you were a demon was if we were on Fraxatome."

Rose rested her head on his chest and inhaled slowly. "What do we do now?"

"I think it would be best if you stuck close to Evelina," he told her decidedly. "There's something going on with her and she might be more comfortable with you since your female and closer to her age."

"What about you?"

"I'm going to investigate a bit. Figure out this 'consuming the vapours' nonsense, see what exactly is going on with Lord Lucius."

"You'll be careful, yeah? Don't forget what tomorrow is."

"It'll be fine, Rose. We'll get out of here in plenty of time. I promise. In the meantime, keep an eye out on Donna. I'm afraid she still might try to evacuate the city."

"We can't really blame her, Doctor. Tomorrow, this place will be destroyed, including every inhabitant. That is absolutely terrifying to think about. I would be lying if I told you that I don't want to do the same thing as Donna. I won't," she assured, "because I know better. But this is Donna's first time in a situation like this. It's not going to be easy."

The Doctor scrubbed his hands down his face. "I can't change anything. What happens tomorrow has to happen!"

"I know that and once we have time to properly sit down with Donna and explain, she will too. But until then, it's going to be a fight and a struggle."

He leaned his forehead against hers. "This isn't what I wanted for her first trip," he admitted.

"But here we are." She looked around and made sure that they weren't being watched before moving forward to give him a small kiss. "Let's get moving, yeah? I'll go track, Donna down and keep watch of her and Evelina."

He kissed her back. "Be careful."

"Always am."

"Ha!"

* * *

Navigating her way towards Evelina's room, Rose found Donna standing in the doorway watching Metella fuss over her daughter. The older woman shot Rose a small smile when she noticed her entrance and said apologetically, "She didn't mean to be rude. She's ever such a good girl. But when the gods speak through her..."

Donna saw Metella began unwrapping a dressing from Evelina's right arm. "What's wrong with her arm?"

"An irritation of the skin. She never complains, bless her. We bathe it in olive oil every night."

She nodded to Rose, both taking interest in the grey tinge marring the young girl's limb. "What is it?"

"Evelina said you'd come from far away." Metella looked at Rose pleadingly. "And you, you have such knowledge. Please, have you ever seen anything like it?"

Rose ran her fingers down the irritation and recoiled quickly. "Oh my god," she mumbled under her breath.

Curious at what would give Rose that reaction, Donna traced her own hand down Evelina's arm. "It's stone."

The sound of the Doctor clearing his throat behind them, made the three women turn around. Rose smiled bashfully. "Excuse me." She made her exit and followed the Doctor to a small alcove. "Doctor, there's something weird happening to Evelina."

"You mean besides making correct prophecies?" he asked with a hint of cheek.

"Yeah, see the thing is, her arm is turning to stone. Sort of like a statue or something."

"Hhhmm. Interesting. I had a little chat with Caecilius and found out that seventeen years ago there was a great earthquake. After that the soothsayers started making perfect sense."

"And you think it's connected?"

"Must be, because I also learned that the way they heat their homes is through natural hot springs that lead straight to Vesuvius. When Metella said that Evelina was consuming the vapours, she's literally consuming particles of Vesuvius."

"Well, that can't be good."

"Nope," he agreed. "And now I think it's time I found out more about Lucius. You continue to keep watch over Evelina and that arm, yeah?

She smiled. "I'm on it."

* * *

When she made her way back to Evelina's room, she found that the young girl was wide awake, while Metella was searching for some "proper" garments for Donna and Rose. For Donna, she picked a deep, royal purple gown with cap sleeves and a shawl to match. For Rose, she chose a forest green, one-shoulder floor length dress. Rose had to admit, the clothes were beautiful and showed that this family was clearly well off in society.

Rose settled herself next to Evelina, who was perched on the edge of her bed, while Donna spun around the room, showing off. The two girls giggled at her silliness. "You're not supposed to laugh. Thanks for that. What do you think?" She posed. "The Goddess Venus."

Evelina's eyes widened in surprise, but said with a hint of wickedness, "Oh, that's sacrilege!"

"Nice to see you laugh, though," she commented and said on the opposite side of where Rose was sitting. "What do you do in old Pompeii, then, girls your age? You got mates? Do you go hanging about round the shops? TK Maximus?"

The young girl shrugged. "I am promised to the Sisterhood for the rest of my life."

"Do you get any choice in that?"

"It's not my decision. The Sisters chose for me. I have the gift of sight."

"Then what can you see happening tomorrow?"

"Donna," Rose warned.

Is tomorrow special?" Evelina asked earnestly.

"Not at all," the blonde told her, with a smile a bit too wide.

"It might be," Donna said, ignoring her friend. "What do you see?"

She closed her eyes and took a breath. "The sun will rise, the sun will set. Nothing special at all."

"See, nothing to be concerned about," Rose added, pleading with silent looks for Donna to let this go.

The ginger paid her no mind and continued with, "Look, don't tell the Doctor I said anything because he'll kill me, but I've got a prophecy too."

Evelina gasped and covered her face with her hands, revealing a pair of eyes painted on the backs.

"Donna, stop!" Rose commanded.

"Evelina, I'm sorry, but you've got to hear me out. Evelina, can you hear me? Listen."

"There is only one prophecy," she insisted, sounding on the verge of tears.

"But everything I'm about to say to you is true, I swear. Just listen to me. Tomorrow, that mountain is going to explode. Evelina, please listen. The air is going to fill with ash and rocks, tons and tons of it, and this whole town is going to get buried."

"That's not true."

"Of course not," Rose cooed, brushing the girl's hair back in a soothing manner. "Donna, enough. You're clearly upsetting her with your stories. If Evelina says nothing unusual is happening tomorrow than that's that!"

Donna rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, but everyone's going to die. Even if you don't believe me, just tell your family to get out of town. Just for one day. Just for tomorrow. But you've got to get out. You've got to leave Pompeii."

Evelina removed her hands from her eyes and looked at Donna harshly. "This is false prophecy!"

Before anything could be said further, the ground starting shaking once more. "Oh, not again," Donna groaned.

Rose perked her head up. There was something different this time. This wasn't a continual shudder. This came in spurts. Almost like... footsteps. "Doctor, what have you done now?" she asked rhetorically, jumping up at once to find the source.

* * *

Running back into the main part of the villa, Rose ran right into Caecilius and Metella, with Donna and Evelina right on their heels.

"What is it? What's that noise?" Metella questioned, clearly frightened.

Her husband stepped forward, looking around. "Doesn't sound like Vesuvius."

"Caecilius?!" the Doctor shouted as he ran in with Quintus. He stopped and rested her arms on Rose. "All of you, get out."

"What did you do?" she hissed at him.

He gave her a sheepish look. "I think we're being followed." Suddenly the grill to the hypocaust flew off. "Just get out!" he demanded giving Rose a small shove. Nobody listened though, and instead watched in fixation was the hypocaust itself began to crumble. In it's place stood a large stone creature that looked as if it was burning with lava in it's core.

"The gods are with us," Evelina cried out, continuing to stare at the stone monster.

"Water. We need water," the Doctor yelled. "Rose, Quintus. All of you, get water. Donna!"

As commanded, Rose and Donna followed Quintus to fetch the vases, while one of the servants stepped forward and prayed, "Blessed are we to see the gods." Without warning the creature breathed down on him, instantly turning the man to ash. Evelina looked on in horror as her mother clung to her father in fear.

The Doctor placed his hands up in surrender. "Talk to me. That's all I want. Talk to me. Just tell me you are. Don't hurt these people. Talk to me. I'm the Doctor. Just tell me who you are." When the thing of stone didn't respond, Quintus and another servant ran forward and filled their respective vases with water, dousing the creature in the liquid and causing him to crumble.

Caecilius released his wife and looked at the broken remains. "What was it?"

"Carapace of stone, held together by internal magma. Not too difficult to stop, but I reckon that's just the foot soldier."

"Doctor," Metella called out, "or whatever your name is, you bring bad luck on this house."

He gave the woman a stony glare. "I thought your son was brilliant. Aren't you going to thank him?" Turning back, he began mumbling. "Still, if there are aliens at work in Pompeii, it's a good thing we stayed, don't you think, Rose? Rose? Donna? Donna? Rose?!"

Evelina stepped forward, her eyes downcast. "They've been taken," she admitted quietly.

"Yes, I can see that," he said through grit teeth. "To where and by whom?"

"Th-the Sisterhood. They've been taken to the temple to be sacrificed. Your friend... your sister?... She was making false prophecies."

"Where is this temple? Where!?"

Evelina jumped in fright, but her brother stepped forward and quickly gave him the directions he needed. Pulling a small object out of his pocket, the Doctor quickly armed himself for a fight and ran off to save his companions. "Honestly," he said to himself. "It's like the bloody Racnoss all over again."

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me," Donna remarked as she was tied to a table and surrounded by women, all bent on sacrificing her or something. Off to the side, Rose was tied to a pillar. Apparently, she would get offed as soon as they were done with her.

A woman with dark hair, who they'd heard respond to the name Spurrina, stood over Donna, a large knife poised in the air and proclaimed, "The false prophet will surrender both her blood and her breath."

"I'll surrender you in a minute. Don't you dare!"

"Just let us go!" Rose yelled. "Please, just listen to us. You've got it all wrong!"

"You will be silent," Spurrina commanded.

"Listen, sister, you might have eyes on the back of your hands, but you'll have eyes in the back of your head by the time I've finished with you. Let me go!" Donna screamed as loud as possible, praying that someone, anyone, would hear her pleas.

"This prattling voice will cease forever." Spurrina raised the blade higher.

"Oh, that'll be the day," the voice of the Doctor said from the other side of the room. Turning in shock, they all discovered the Time Lord leaning causally against the wall.

"No man is allowed to enter the Temple of Sibyl."

"Well, that's all right." He made a face and continued chatting as he made his way closer to his bound companions. "Just us girls. Do you know, I met the Sibyl once. Yeah, hell of a woman. Blimey, she could dance the Tarantella. Nice teeth. Truth be told, I think she had a bit of a thing for me. I said it would never last. She said, I know. Well, she would." He stopped in front of Donna first. "You all right there?"

"Oh, never better," she said in relief.

He looked behind him where Rose's hands and legs were bound to the pillar behind her. "And you, you alright? You look lovely by the way."

Rose winked when she saw a hint of lust behind his eyes. "I'm alright. Got a thing for bondage, do ya?"

"Well, not normally, but I have to admit, you make anything look good. And you," he turned back to Donna, "I like the toga."

Donna smiled. "Thank you. And the ropes?"

"Yeah, not so much." He began sonicing her free, followed quickly by releasing Rose as well.

Spurrina watched in amazement as their bonds fell away. "What magic is this?"

"Let me tell you about the Sibyl, the founder of this religion." He bent across the table and looked at every single Sister. "She would be ashamed of you. All her wisdom and insight turned sour. Is that how you spread the word, hey? On the blade of a knife?"

"Yes, a knife that now welcomes you!"

Rose raced forward to push aside the Doctor, but was stopped by a gravelly voice cry out, "Show me this man."

Immediately, all the Sisters fell to the floor, except Spurrina. "High Priestess, the stranger would defile us!"

"Let me see. This one is different. He carries starlight in his wake."

The Doctor, flanked by Rose and Donna, moved closer to the curtained off area where the voice was coming from. "Oh, very perceptive. Where do these words of wisdom come from?"

"The gods whisper to me."

"They've done far more than that. Might I beg audience? Look upon the High Priestess?" The curtains moved aside at his request and revealed a woman made entirely of crumbling stone.

"Oh, my god," Donna gasped. "What's happened to you?"

"The heavens have blessed me," was the response given by the Priestess.

The Doctor reached out and said kindly, "If I might?"

She held her hand out, and he took it gently, kneeling before her. "Does it hurt?"

"It is necessary," she insisted, her voice strained.

"Who told you that?"

"The voices."

Donna stared in complete shock. "Is that what's going to happen to Evelina? Is this what's going to happen to all of you?"

Spurrina held out her arm for examination. "The blessings are manifold."

"You actually consider this a blessing?" Rose asked.

Spurrina nodded as Donna wrapped her head around what was happening. "They're stone."

"Exactly." The Doctor stood. "The people of Pompeii are turning to stone before the volcano erupts. But why?"

"This word, this image in your mind. This volcano. What is that?" the Priestess questioned.

"More to the point, why don't you know about it? Who are you?"

"High Priestess of the Sibylline."

"No, no, no, no. I'm talking to the creature inside you. The thing that's seeding itself into a human body, in the dust, in the lungs, taking over the flesh and turning it into, what?"

"Your knowledge is impossible."

"Oh, but you can read my mind. You know it's not. I demand you tell me who you are."

"We are awakening," the Priestess answered in two voices. One, her own. And the other, much deeper and more sinister.

"The voice of the gods," Spurrina cried, as the other Sisters, still on their knees, began rocking and repeating the words, "Words of wisdom, words of power."

"Name yourself. Planet of origin. Galactic coordinates. Species designation according to the universal ratification of the Shadow Proclamation," the Doctor demanded, his vice rising about the chants.

The stone creature got to it's feet and stood before them. "We are rising!"

"Tell me your name!"

Rose covered her mouth as the creature removed it's hood and declared, "Pyrovile." Instantly the Sisters began repeating the name.

"What's a Pyrovile?" Donna asked, not taking her eyes off the creature.

"Well, that's a Pyrovile, growing inside her. She's a halfway stage," the Doctor answered.

Rose took a step to her left and slipped her hand in the Doctor's. "Only half way, huh?

He nodded. "Yep. That thing in the villa? That was an adult."

"And the breath of a Pyrovile will incinerate you, Doctor," the half transformed Pyrovile told him.

He pulled a yellow water pistol out of his suit and held it up in defense. "I warn you, I'm armed. Girls, get that grill open."

Rose smacked her forehead. Now she had truly seen it all. "Okay," was her only statement as she and Donna went to remove the grill from the hypocaust.

"What are the Pyrovile doing here?"

"We fell from the heavens. We fell so far and so fast, we were rendered into dust," the Pyrovile told him.

"Right, creatures of stone shattered on impact. When was that, seventeen years ago?"

"We have slept beneath for thousands of years."

"Okay, so seventeen years ago woke you up, and now you're using human bodies to reconstitute yourselves. But why the psychic powers?"

"We opened their minds and found such gifts," the creature declared.

The Doctor nodded and continued, "Okay, that's fine. So you force yourself inside a human brain, use the latent psychic talent to bond. I get that, I get that, yeah. But seeing the future? That is way beyond psychic. You can see through time. Where does the gift of prophecy come from?"

"Got it!" Donna said loudly, as she and Rose finally pried the grill up.

"Doctor, let's go!" the other girl cried.

"Be right there. You two get down," he told them.

Donna peered down the hypocaust. "What, down there?"

"Yes, down there." He turned his attention back to the Pyrovile. "Why can't this lot predict a volcano? Why is it being hidden?"

"Sisters, I see into his mind. The weapon is harmless!" Spurrina called out.

The Doctor shrugged and held the water pistol up. "Yeah, but it's got to sting." He began spraying the creature, causing it to scream in agony. "Get down there!" he shouted when he was Rose and Donna still waiting for him.

* * *

When the three made it to the bottom of the hypocaust, they took a moment to get their bearings. Donna caught her breath. "You fought her off with a water pistol. I bloody love you."

Rose snorted. "Look at that. Took us years to admit those words aloud."

The Doctor winked and moved towards a tunnel entrance. "This way!"

"Where are we going now?" Donna asked

"Into the volcano."

"No way."

"Yes, way." He grabbed Rose's hand. "Appian way."

* * *

As they continued their trek into Vesuvius, Donna squealed. "Isn't this great though!?"

"What exactly is great about this situation, Donna?" Rose asked, genuinely confused.

"Things can change! Pompeii doesn't have to be destroyed."

She sighed and shook her head in denial. "Nothing's going to change."

"But if it's aliens setting off the volcano, doesn't that make it all right for you to stop it?"

"Still part of history," the Doctor answered stoically.

"But I'm history to you. You saved me in 2008. You've saved Rose. You saved us all. Why is that different?"

"Some things are fixed, some things are in flux. Pompeii is fixed."

"How do you know which is which?"

The Doctor stopped and faced Donna head on, releasing his grip from Rose. With the Oncoming Storm swirling in his eyes, he answered, "Because that's how I see the universe. Every waking second, I can see what is, what was, what could be, what must not. That's the burden of a Time Lord, Donna. And I'm the only one left."

He turned and continued walking as she called out to him, "How many people died?"

Rose grabbed her arm. "Leave him alone!"

Donna pulled away and asked once more, "Doctor, how many people died?"

"Twenty thousand," he answered, and Rose knew in his mind the numbers of his people, the people of Gallifrey, were echoing back to him.

Donna blinked back tears. "Is that what you can see, Doctor? All twenty thousand? And you think that's all right, do you?" Suddenly a loud roar came up from behind them.

The Doctor pushed the girls forward. "They know we're here. Come on."

* * *

The three crept into a large cavern, and hid behind a large cluster of boulders when they saw several, fully formed Pyroviles walking around. "It's the heart of Vesuvius. We're right inside the mountain."

"I thought there would be more lava," Rose commented.

Donna shook her head in wonder at the large creatures taking up residence in the mountain. "There's tons of them."

"What's that thing?" The Doctor nodded towards a oddly shaped structure in the distance. He pulled out a monocular to get a better look.

"Oh, you better hurry up and think of something. Rocky fall's on its way."

"That's how they arrived. Or what's left of it. Escape pod? Prison ship? Gene bank?"

"But why do they need a volcano?" Donna brought up. "Maybe it erupts, and they launch themselves back into space or something?"

"Oh, it's worse than that."

Rose nudged his shoulder. "Well, that's reassuring."

"How could it be worse?" Donna asked, right as another loud roar echoed around them. "Doctor, it's getting closer."

Just then, Lord Lucius appeared and cried out from a ridge, "Heathens defile us. They would desecrate your temple, my lord gods."

"Come on," the Doctor encouraged, as the slid from their hiding place.

"We can't go in!" Donna stated.

"Well, we can't go back."

"Crush them. Burn them," Lucius continued to proclaim.

A Pyrovile reared in front of them, too close for comfort. Pulling Rose behind him with one hand, the Doctor used the other to spray the creature with his water pistol.

Lucius watched from his perch as the three travellers continued to try and find their escape. "There is nowhere to run with your Wolf, Doctor, and daughter of London."

The Doctor stopped, and once again placed himself in front of Rose and Donna. "Now then, Lucius. My lords Pyrovillian, don't get yourselves in a lather. In a lava? No? No?" Donna shook her head in denial.

Rose said under her breath, "Time and place."

He cleared his throat. "But if I might beg the wisdom of the gods before we perish. Once this new race of creatures is complete, then what?"

"My masters will follow the example of Rome itself. An almighty empire, bestriding the whole of civilisation," Lucius answered with a shout.

"But if you've crashed, and you've got all this technology, why don't you just go home?" Donna shouted back.

"The Heaven of Pyrovillia is gone."

The Doctor was taken aback. "What do you mean, gone? Where's it gone?"

"It was taken. Pyrovillia is lost."

That struck Rose. This was the second time they'd heard of a lost planet recently. But what did that mean? "Lost to what? Another species? Was there a war or something?"

"It is gone," Lucius answered. "But there is heat enough in this world for a new species to rise."

"Yeah, I should warn you, it's seventy percent water out there," the Doctor pointed out.

"Water can boil. And everything will burn, Doctor!"

"Then the whole planet is at stake. Thank you. That's all I needed to know. Ladies." He pulled them into the structure behind them and quickly soniced the door closed.

* * *

The three travellers crammed into the tiny ship and the Doctor immediately began scanning the circuit board in front of them. "Could we be any more trapped?" Donna complained, taking in their environment. Suddenly a wave of intense heat washed over them. "Little bit hot."

Rose wiped a trickle of sweat from her brow. "Just a bit," she agreed. "Doctor, what happens now?"

He leaned on one arm and looked at her gravely. "The energy converter takes the lava, uses the power to create a fusion matrix, which welds Pyrovile to human. Now it's complete, they can convert millions."

"But can't you change it with these controls?" Donna asked frantically.

"Of course I can, but don't you see? That's why the soothsayers can't see the volcano. There is no volcano. Vesuvius is never going to erupt. The Pyrovile are stealing all its power. They're going to use it to take over the world."

"And Earth becomes the new Pyrovillia," Rose finished.

Donna shook her head. "But you can change it back?"

"I can invert the system, set off the volcano, and blow them up, yes. But, that's the choice, Donna." He turned to her. "It's Pompeii or the world."

"Oh my god."

Guilt flooded his features."If Pompeii is destroyed then it's not just history, it's me. I make it happen."

Rose took his hand, her eyes swirling with gold. "Time is still fixed. We'll make it happen. Together."

Donna began grasping at straws terrified at all she had and was still experiencing. She began taking large, gulping breaths as the Doctor set about inverting the system. "Doctor, the Pyrovile are made of rocks. Maybe they can't be blown up."

"Vesuvius explodes with the force of twenty four nuclear bombs. Nothing can survive it." He pulled Rose into his side and kissed the top of her head. "Certainly not us."

Rose gave a small nervous chuckle. "And when has that ever stopped us before?"

Seeing the braveness Rose was showing, even in the face of death, Donna lifted her chin. "Never mind us."

"Push this lever and it's over." The Doctor placed his and Rose's entwined hands on the stone lever and took a deep breath. "Twenty thousand people." Suppressing a sob, Donna placed her hands beside theirs.

Rose gave the two people to her right a watery smile. "Allons-y?"

The Doctor nodded and the three pushed down on the lever.

* * *

At some point Rose lost her hold on the Doctor and was only aware of the sound of Donna's screams as they were tossed about. She kept waiting for the moment it would all stop, the moment that would surely mean they were dead. Instead they landed with a large thud. They all took a second to stare at each other in shock at being alive, before the Doctor was using the sonic to open the door.

"It was an escape pod," he said breathlessly as he took in their surroundings.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled when she noticed avalanche of rolling ash headed their way. Vesuvius had erupted and they only had minutes to spare. He quickly used both hands to grab hold of herself and Donna and was leading them back to the TARDIS.

* * *

As they ran through Pompeii, ash rained down on them like heavy storm. People were running around frantically, and the Doctor was trying his best to keep hold of his companions. Rose stayed steadily by his side, but Donna fell out of his grip.

"Don't. Don't go to the beach. Don't go to the beach, go to the hills. Listen to me!" she started screaming. "Don't go to the beach, it's not safe. Listen to me!" A little boy next to her, no older than three began crying and she immediately knelt down next to him. "Come here."

A local woman ran up and scooped him into her arms. "Give him to me!"

Rose covered her mouth and nose, her shoulders wracked with sobs. "Donna, we have to go," she pleaded.

"Come on." The Doctor took the ginger woman's arm and began leading her to their escape.

* * *

They raced inside the villa and was met with the sight of Caecilius cowering with his family in the corner of the room. "Gods save us, Doctor!" he begged.

The Doctor stared at this family and looked back at Rose who had her eyes clenched shut. She was shaking uncontrollably, her breaths uneven. He saw her lips moving, but no sound coming out. If he looked just right, he could almost make out the word master. A shudder went through him. She was having a flashback to when the Master took her to Utopia. The things she saw... She still hadn't told the Doctor everything. He had to get her out of this situation. Now. Shutting down his emotions and ignoring the pleas from the family before him, he pulled Rose quickly towards the TARDIS.

"No!" Donna screamed, unable to figure out how he could just abandon these people. "Doctor, you can't. Doctor!"

* * *

Once inside the TARDIS, the Doctor scooped Rose off her feet and laid her gently on the jump seat while he started the TARDIS engines. Donna slammed into the control room and looked at him fiercely. "You can't just leave them!"

"Don't you think I've done enough? History's back in place and everyone dies," he said, his face void of any emotions.

"You've got to go back. Doctor, I am telling you, take this thing back." The TARDIS lurched causing Donna to grab the console tightly. "It's not fair," she whimpered.

"No, it's not."

"But your own planet. It burned."

He finally looked up from the console and directed his gaze at her. "That's just it. Don't you see, Donna? Can't you understand? If I could go back and save them, then I would. But I can't. I can never go back. I can't! I just can't, I can't."

"Just someone. Please. Not the whole town. Just save someone," she begged.

The Doctor felt his resolve slipping, the final push he needed was Rose coming up next to him and taking his hand. She was horribly pale and looked like she might collapse at any moment, but the flashback was over. She echoed the words he once told her back to him, "Sometimes, not everybody lives, but sometimes, a few people do." Her eyes took on a glow and her voice, ethereal. "One family. One family is meant to survive."

Without another word, the Doctor began reversing the sequence he had just put into place. Both women felt the TARDIS land, and watched as the Doctor opened the door and reached out his hand. "Come with me."

* * *

After the family had loaded into the TARDIS, the Doctor quickly brought them to a hill, a safe distance away, looking over Pompeii. Everyone ushered outside, to pay their respects to Pompeii's final moments.

"It's never forgotten, Caecilius," the Doctor told the man on his right. "Oh, time will pass, men'll move on, and stories will fade. But one day, Pompeii will be found again. In thousands of years. And everyone will remember you."

"What about you, Evelina? Can you see anything?" Donna asked the young soothsayer.

"The visions have gone," she admitted.

The Doctor stepped closer and gave her a small smile. "The explosion was so powerful it cracked open a rift in time, just for a second. That's what gave you the gift of prophecy. It echoed back into the Pyrovillian alternative. But not any more. You're free."

Metella blinked back tears and said, "But tell me, who are you, Doctor? With your words, and your temple containing such size within?"

"Oh, I was never here. Don't tell anyone."

Caecilius watched the destruction of his home, trying to comprehend all that had happened in the last few hours. "The great god Vulcan must be enraged. It's so volcanic. It's like some sort of volcano. All those people."

Letting the family have a moment as one, the Doctor nodded towards Rose and Donna to head back to the TARDIS. Rose stopped in her tracks as a burning sensation whipped through her mind. "Wait!" she told them as she rushed to Caecilius. Pulling him aside, the Doctor watched as Rose whispered something in the man's ear. He even felt a hint of jealousy when Caecilius pulled back and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you, my dear," he heard him say. Rose smiled and nodded as she walked back to the TARDIS.

"What was all that about?" the Doctor asked when she made it to the doors.

Rose gave an innocent grin. "Just had a message to give him."

"What do you mean? What message?"

"A message from the TARDIS. And no, I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't even remember it myself." She put a hand against each of his hearts."I have a feeling we'll figure it out someday though."

He sighed and leaned his head against hers. "You know, I'm not a big fan of my own TARDIS keeping secrets from me."

She kissed his cheek. "I know, but there's nothing to fear."

"How do you know?"

"I just do. Come on, Donna's waiting for us."

* * *

They made their way up the ramp and the Doctor, once again, began the sequence to send them back to the Vortex. Donna watched the couple quietly and finally with trepidation, she said, "Thank you."

"Yeah," was the Doctor's clipped response.

Rose cleared her throat. "Why don't I go make us some tea. Then the three of us and can sit down and have a chat." She turned to the Doctor. "Maybe you can explain timelines and they way they work in detail, so Donna knows for next time, yeah?"

He nodded and gave their newest companion a light smile. "Welcome aboard."

She grinned back. "Yeah."

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Planet of the Ood.**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	5. Planet of the Ood Part 1

**A/N: Many thanks to my followers, those who have favourited, and to those who have reviewed. I adore you all. I hope you enjoy this next chapter! Feedback would be great :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Planet of the Ood. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

Realising it had been far too long since they had properly ate, Rose set about a simple pasta dish to have with their tea. It wasn't much, but Rose knew that Donna would not be used to their sporadic eating schedules and was probably famished without even realising it. Once the Doctor and their newest companion joined her, the three sat down to their meal and had a serious discussion.

It wasn't easy, but Rose felt that Donna truly needed to understand the ramifications of messing with fixed points in time. The best way, in her mind, to do that was by sharing her own personal experiences (and mistakes) from when she was still a new time traveller. So, with great care, Rose told Donna the story of how her father died. It was never a tale she cared to think about that often, the sight of her first Doctor being overpowered by the Reaper was still one to haunt her dreams to this day, let alone the sight of her dad willingly throwing himself in front of a moving vehicle to save the world. All because of her and her selfish desire to save a man who was supposed to die.

* * *

The Doctor watched proudly as Rose recounted how she saved her dad from dying and the price that had to be paid because of it. His brilliant girl was so strong. She had been through so much since they'd first met, but through it all she's persevered and still wanted to be with him. He would never cease to be amazed by her.

Donna wiped a few tears away as Rose finished. "So, you being by his side as he passed changed history right?"

"Just slightly, but yes. Before, my mum recalled there not being anyone with him, but after I was there she remembered a blonde girl being by his side," Rose answered.

"How does that work though? That you remember it both ways? Shouldn't your memories have completely changed?"

"Rose was in the heart of the change," the Doctor injected. "It all happened because of her. So she can remember both scenarios."

Donna slumped in her chair. "I never thought there would be so many rules."

"Do you still have questions?"

"Loads of 'em."

Rose yawned and stretched her arms. "I'd love to stay up and chat more, but while you two discuss the laws of time and space, I'm going to bed. I'm exhausted."

The Doctor stopped her decent from the kitchen by grabbing her arm. He was worried about her, knowing she had experienced some flashbacks from the Master back in Pompeii. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Course." She smiled and leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Come join me when you two are done talking."

"Will do. Goodnight."

"Goodnight. Night, Donna," she added. "Don't stay up too late. Knowing this one, we'll be up bright and early for a new adventure tomorrow."

The red head laughed. "Thanks for the warning. Goodnight, Rose!"

* * *

The Doctor stayed up for another two hours laughing and swapping stories of various events in their lives. The Time Lord tried his hardest to explain fixed points in time versus when time was in flux, but he said it was hard for him to explain. "I just know," he told her. "It's engrained in me. Some things fixed or in flux might seem obvious to you, but others might not, so always check with me! You're going to have to trust me, Donna," he went on to say. "I know that sometimes I need someone to tell me to stop or when to open my hearts and mind a bit, but in the end I have final say over things. I know best in almost every situation."

Donna quirked an eyebrow.

He rolled his eyes. "I said almost!"

* * *

The Doctor found himself really enjoying his time spent with Donna. It had been a long time since he'd had a companion quite like her. He could really see them becoming best mates and, though he would never admit it aloud, perhaps even a bit like siblings. Martha had been a wonderful companion. Brilliant, resourceful, but the comfort factor was never quite the same. It could have just been that he'd always known that she wasn't going to be a permanent fixture in his and Rose's lives, at least, not on the TARDIS. He'd go visit Martha at least, if she ever needed them too, but he'd always known that her days on the TARDIS were numbered.

With Donna, he knew there was definite potential for her to be a long-time companion. He couldn't see her timeline clearly, they were far too close, but with the brief glimpse he got, he knew she was in it for the long haul.

"Can I ask you something?" Donna said suddenly, bringing him out of his thoughts.

He gave a cheeky grin. "Isn't that what you've been doing the past two hours?"

"Ha. Ha. I have a serious question now. Last night... Or at least... I think it was last night. Hard to tell on this barmy ship of yours. Anyway, I asked Rose how long it had been since we'd all seen each other and she said that you two would have different answers, but that it would be sometime around three years."

He noticeably stiffened, but then forced himself to relax. "And your question is?"

She shrugged. "Don't really know. Guess I'm just being nosy. Rose mentioned something about you two being separated and bad stuff happening and not wanting to talk about it. I shouldn't pry. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise. It's natural to be curious. The thing is, Rose was right. Bad stuff happened and we're just now in a place where we're okay. Not one hundred percent, but getting there. I just don't think she's quite ready to rehash it just yet. Don't take it personally. In fact," he leaned forward, "I would really appreciate it if you encouraged to try and open up to you. She's only had me these past few months, but I know it's still hard for her to open up to me. She doesn't want to upset me with what she has to say, but she might talk to you. She needs a friend."

Donna nodded. "I'll do my best."

They went on to chat about Donna's trip to Egypt and her wonder with the pyramids, while the Doctor told her all about the glass pyramid of San Kloon and other tales of his travels.

They were both laughing hysterically as he gasped out, "And then he said-"

A scream tore through the TARDIS.

"Rose," he said under his breath as he literally leaped from the table and towards his and Rose's bedroom. Donna was hot on his heels.

* * *

Rose opened her eyes and found herself alone, in the middle of an empty street.

"Hello?" she called out. "Doctor?"

_'Your pack is returning,' _a voice behind her whispered.

She whipped around, but there was no one there. "Who's there? This isn't funny!"

_'Your pack is returning,' _the unknown voice repeated.

Rose turned to see where the voice was coming from, but found herself still alone. There was something approaching though. She could see it in the distance. The darkness was coming.

She gasped and found herself choking. Choking on water. She was completely submerged in water. She tired opening her eyes, but it burned and everything was blurry. She kicked her legs and hard as she could, praying she could reach the top. A heaviness in her head kept her weighed down.

_'Turn left,'_ a new voice whispered.

Turn left? Rose tried swimming towards the left, but it was no use. She couldn't hold her breath any longer. She let the darkness consume her.

Bum, bum, bum, bum.

Opening her eyes, she took in her newest surroundings. The TARDIS control room. She sighed with relief and quickly stood to her feet. "Doctor?" she called out.

The TARDIS door swung open and the Time Lord stumbled in, tossing his jacket on a coral strut. He looked horrible, like he could keel over at any minute and Rose rushed to his side. "Doctor what happened?" He ignored her. "Doctor talk to me!" She moved to grab him, but he stepped out of the way right as she closed in on him.

"I don't want to go," he whispered harshly. Suddenly he was aflame. He was regenerating.

"No!" she screamed. "Doctor!"

* * *

Sensing his urgency, the TARDIS made the Doctor's and Donna's path to the bedroom quick and simple, and already had the door wide open and waiting for him. Rose was sprawled across the bed, tossing and turning.

"Doctor," she whimpered, tears streaming down her face.

There was no hesitation in the Doctor's steps as he immediately jumped on the bed and gathered Rose into his arms. She gasped awake when she felt his presence. "Shhh. It's alright night," he cooed. "You're okay. It was just a bad dream.

"You're you!" she exclaimed, running her hands over his face.

"Last I checked," he said with a small smile.

"Here we go," Donna entered from the en suite carrying a glass of water and a cool, damp flannel. She placed the items on the side table and made her way back to the door. "I'll give you two some privacy. See you in the morning. Or you know," she chuckled nervously, "whenever we all wake up!"

Rose buried her face in the Doctor's chest when the other woman left. "I'm so embarrassed," she muttered. "Donna probably thinks I'm a nutter now."

"Weell," the Doctor said playfully.

"Shut it, mister."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked carefully.

"No."

"Rose-"

"Doctor, it was a bad dream. That's it! It wasn't about... you know who."

"Voldemort?"

She groaned and gave him a look. "No, it wasn't about Voldemort or any other psychopaths who want to take over the world."

"So why don't you want to talk about it?"

"Because it was just a dream! It's probably because I ate right before bed."

He tilted his head. "Excuse me?"

"My mum always used to say if you eat before bed, you're bound to get nightmares," she recited dutifully.

"Where'd she come up with that?"

She shrugged. "Who knows, but in this instance, she's probably right. Can we just drop this? I'd really rather not talk about my stupid dream anymore."

"Fine. Let me just change out of my suit and I'll join you," he said stiffly.

"You're mad."

He began tugging at his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. "I'm not mad, Rose. I'm frustrated. You're always on me about being honest and opening up more and all you ever do lately is clam up around me. I want to help you, why won't you let me?"

"I'm sorry," was her only response.

He slipped out of his trousers and rummaged around for his jim jams. "Do you want to go visit, Jack? Would that help? Or Sarah Jane?" She shook her head, trying to keep her tears from spilling. He finished changing and curled up next to her in bed. "Then please, love, let me help you."

She took a deep breath. "I'll try."

* * *

The next morning the Doctor and Rose were quietly talking in the control room. With the promise of being more open in the future, they didn't speak of Rose's dream anymore the night before and instead went straight to sleep. When they awoke, Rose was back to her chipper self, but the Doctor was making sure he kept an extra eye on her. After grabbing some tea and a small bite to eat the pair waited for Donna to join them. Fifteen minutes later, the ginger woman found her own way to the control room.

"Good Morning," she greeted to the pair resting on the jump seat.

"Morning," Rose replied. "Did you find kitchen alright?"

"I did. The TARDIS led me straight there."

Rose and the Doctor shared a smile. "She likes you."

"Well, she's not so shabby herself," Donna remarked, patting the console. "So where we off to today?"

The Doctor got up and started setting the controls. "Where would like to go?"

She bit her lip. "Maybe... Maybe a different planet?"

He pulled down on the lever to his right. "Coming right up."

Rose and Donna held tightly to the console as the TARDIS rocked back and forth before landing with a thud.

"So, where'd you take us?" Rose asked, sliding to the Doctor's side.

"Set the controls to random. Mystery tour. Outside that door could be any planet, anywhere, anywhen in the whole wide u-" he stopped, noticing that Donna's face looked petrified. "Are you all right?"

"Terrified," she told him honestly. "I mean, history's one thing but an alien planet?"

"I could always take you home."

"Yeah, don't laugh at me."

He moved to stand directly in front of her. "I know what it's like. Everything you're feeling right now. The fear, the joy, the wonder? I get that."

She looked shock. "Seriously? After all this time?"

"Yeah!" he answered enthusiastically, pulling Rose into his arms. "Why do you think we keep going?"

"It's the best, Donna," Rose told her. "Scary, different, and absolutely fantastic."

"Oh. All right then, the three of us together! This is barmy. I was born in Chiswick. I've only ever had package holidays. Now I'm here." She made her way to the front door. "This is so... I mean it's... I don't know, it's all sort of... I don't even know what the word is!" With that she turned around and walked out the front door. "Oh, I've got the word. Freezing."

The Doctor pulled Rose outside and observed their surroundings. "Snow! Oh, real snow. Proper snow at last. There we go, Rose. That's more like it. Lovely. What do you think?" he asked Donna.

"Bit cold."

Rose burrowed into the Doctor's side and shivered. "Just a tad."

He spread out his arms. "Look at that view!" In front of them was a large ravine with bridges made of rocks and large icicles hanging from them.

"Yep." Donna wrapped her arms around her bare arms. "Beautiful, cold view."

"Millions of planets, millions of galaxies, and we're on this one. Molto bene. Bellissimo, says Donna, born in Chiswick." He began making his way down the snowy path and away from the TARDIS. "All you've got is a life of work and sleep, and telly and rent and tax and takeaway dinners, all birthdays and Christmases and two weeks holiday a year, and then you end up here. Donna Noble, citizen of the Earth, standing on a different planet. How about that Donna?" He stopped and turned around and realised that neither women were behind him. "Donna? Rose?" The TARDIS doors swung open revealing the ladies now wrapped in large winter coats lined with fur.

"Sorry," Donna apologised. "You were saying?"

"Better?"

Rose wrapped her arm through his. "Much."

"Lovely, thanks," the other woman continued.

"Comfy?" he questioned.

"Yep!" they both responded in unison.

"Can you hear anything inside those things?"

Donna leaned forward dramatically. "Pardon?"

"Say that again?" Rose requested loudly.

"Ha!" He turned back towards his newest companion. "All right, I was saying, citizen of the Earth-" Suddenly, a large rocket glided over them slowly, interrupting his sentence.

"Rocket! Blimey, a real proper rocket!" Donna exclaimed. "Now that's what I call a spaceship. You've got a box, he's got a Ferrari. Come on, lets go see where he's going." She started walking in the direction the space craft was headed.

* * *

As they walked over one of the many rock bridges, Rose began to feel a tickling sensation in her mind, and not where she would normally feel the TARDIS or even the Doctor. The tickling presence grew louder as she moved forward, like a song calling to her, begging her for help. It was a song of despair and loneliness.

"Doctor," she called out. "Can you hear that?"

He stopped and turned to face her. "Hear wh-" There it was. He turned back around and listened carefully. "Donna, take your hood down. Can you hear that?"

She looked confused. "What?"

"That noise is like a song." He spotted something down the hill. "Over there!"

Rose gasped in shock when she realised the Doctor had found an Ood, lying on the ground, half covered in snow. Instantly, her mind recalled the events that took place the last time they had come in contact with this species. She shuddered, and not due to the cold. Those were experiences she'd rather not relive.

"What is it?" Donna asked, as the Doctor pulled out a stethoscope and began checking the Ood's vitals.

"An Ood," he told her. "He's called an Ood."

"But it's face..."

"Donna, don't. Not now. It's a he, not an it. Give me a hand."

She knelt down on the other side. "Sorry."

The Doctor looked over and saw Rose standing a few steps away, watching the Ood warily. He sighed and turned back to Donna. "I don't know where the heart is. I don't know if he's got a heart. Talk to him, keep him going."

"It's all right, we've got you. Uh, what's your name?" she asked kindly, patting his arm.

The Ood's translator ball lit up as he answered, "Designated Ood Delta 50."

Donna picked up the ball and began speaking in to it. "My name's Donna."

The Doctor waved her down. "No. No, no, no. You don't need to."

"Sorry," she said sheepishly, trying to control her emotions. "Oh, God. This is the Doctor. Just what you need, a doctor. Couldn't be better, hey?"

The translator ball lit up. "The wolf will sing me to sleep."

The Doctor looked over at Rose as saw that she was staring intently at the Ood. He turned back and found the damage that had been done to the creature. "You've been shot!"

"The circle-"

"No, don't try to talk," Donna told him.

"The circle must be broken."

"Circle? What do you mean?" the Doctor asked, trying to rouse the Ood. "Delta 50, what circle? Delta 50? What circle?!"

With a loud roar, the Ood sat up straight his eyes glowing gold. The Doctor leaped back, pulling  
Donna with him. "Sshh," he heard Rose whisper as the Ood exhaled his final breath and fell back.

"He's gone," Donna mumbled.

"Careful," the Doctor warned as she made her way back to the Ood's side.

"There you are, sweetheart." She carefully ran her hand over his head. "We were too late. What do we do, do we bury him?"

"The snow'll take care of that," he told her darkly, before making his way to Rose. "Are you alright?"

She turned to look at him, blinking away her tears. "He was so... Could you hear him?"

He nodded and pulled her in for a hug. "Must be your connection to the TARDIS . That's why your hearing it so strongly."

"Who was he? What's an Ood?" Donna asked the pair.

"They're servants of humans in the forty second century. Mildly telepathic," he explained. "That was the song. It was his mind calling out."

She shook her head and stood up. "I couldn't hear anything. He sang as he was dying."

"I don't think it's something you want to hear, Donna," Rose told her, wiping her remaining tears away.

The Doctor took a deep breath. "His eyes turned red."

Donna nodded. "What's that mean?"

"Trouble. Come on." He grabbed Rose's hand and began leading them back to the path they had been on. He went on to say, "The Ood are harmless. They're completely benign. Except, the last time I met them, there was this force, like a stronger mind, powerful enough to take them over."

"What sort of force?"

Rose cringed. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

"I do!" she insisted.

He shook his head. "Long story."

"Long walk," she countered.

"It was the Devil."

"If you're going to take the mickey, I'll just put my hood back up!"

"He's telling the truth," Rose defended. "But it couldn't be that again. I mean, we defeated it. You got the body, I got the mind... Right?" she asked the Doctor nervously.

"Must be something different this time," the Doctor assured. "Something closer to home. Ah ha! Civilisation."

The three looked over the hill and saw a large factory looming in front of them. Rose noticed a group of people milling about, as if waiting for something. "Care to see what this lot's up to?"

* * *

When they made their way closer, slipping past the guard house, they heard a woman loudly announce, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Ood Sphere. And isn't it bracing? Here are your information packs, with vouchers, 3D tickets and a map of the complex. My name's Solana, Head of Marketing. I'm sure we've all spoken on the vidfone. Now, if you'd like to follow me."

The Doctor raced forward and flashed the psychic paper. "Sorry, sorry, sorry. Late. Don't mind us. Hello. The guards let us through."

Solana raised her eyebrows. "And you would be?"

"The Doctor, Rose Tyler, and Donna Noble."

"Representing the Noble Tyler Corporation PLC Limited, Intergalactic," Donna chimed in.

"Must have fallen off my list. My apologies. Won't happen again." Solana gave a charming smile. "Now then, Doctor Noble, Mrs Noble, Miss Tyler, if you'd like to come with me."

The Doctor eyes widen as he pulled Rose to his side. He nodded to Donna. "Oh, no, no, no, no. We're not married."

"We're so not married," the ginger agreed vehemently.

"Never."

"Never ever. He's all blondie's over there."

Solana just continued smiling as she handed them each a packet. "Of course. And here are your information packs, vouchers inside. Now if you'd like to come with me, the Executive Suites are nice and warm."

Just as they were about to enter the building on their left a loud alarm began to sound. The Doctor stopped in his tracks. "Oh, what's that? That sounds like an alarm."

"Oh, it's just a siren for the end of the work shift," she answered automatically. "Now then, this way, quick as you can."

* * *

Rose couldn't stop giggling as they were lead to a large presentation area. "You should have seen your faces! Goodness, the thought of you two being married terrified ya both!"

"Glad you find it so funny," the Doctor pouted. "Aren't you a bit upset that she didn't think we were together?"

She kissed his cheek when no one was looking. "Nope."

"Alright you two, break it up," Donna scolded. "The presentation is about to start."

Solana took her place at the podium at the front of the room. "As you can see, the Ood are happy to serve, and we keep them in facilities of the highest standard. Here at the Double O, that's Ood Operations, we like to think of the Ood as our trusted friends. We keep the Ood healthy, safe, and educated. We don't just breed the Ood. We make them better. Because at heart, what is an Ood, but a reflection of us? If your Ood is happy, then you'll be happy, too."

Everyone clapped as she finished, but Rose grabbed hold of the Doctor's arm tightly. "Do you hear that?" she gasped out. He shook his head. "Something here is in pain. I think it's one of the Ood," she whispered.

"Just hold tight. We'll find out what's going on," he told her.

Leaving the podium, Solana made her way to wear a line of Ood were standing on pedestals. "I'd now like to point out a new innovation from Ood Operations. We've introduced a variety package with the Ood translator ball. You can now have the standard setting. How are you today, Ood?"

"I'm perfectly well, thank you," the first one answered.

She made her way to the second Ood. "Or perhaps after a stressful day, a little something for the gentlemen. And how are you, Ood?"

"All the better for seeing you," the Ood answered with a distinctly female voice.

"And the comedy classic option. Ood, you dropped something."

"D'oh!" the Ood exclaimed, reminiscent of Homer Simpson.

"All that for only five additional credits," Solana said over the crowds laughter. "The details are in your brochures. Now, there's plenty more food and drink, so don't hold back."

* * *

"This place is disgusting," Rose commented, watching as Solana walked off to schmooze with potential clients. "What planet are we even on?" she asked the Doctor.

"Let's find out," he said, taking her hand and leading her to Solana's lectern. He typed in a few commands and brought up the computar on the large screen in front of them. He looked at the map of space in front of them. "Ah, got it. The Ood Sphere, I've been to this solar system before. Years ago. Ages. Close to the planet Sense Sphere. Let's widen out. The year 4126. That is the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire."

Donna came up behind them. "4126? It's 4126. I'm in 4126!"

"It's good, isn't it?"

"What's Earth like?"

"Bit full. But you see, the Empire stretches out across three galaxies."

"It's weird. I mean, it's brilliant, but. Back home, the papers and the telly, they keep saying we haven't got long to live. Global warming, flooding, all the bees disappearing."

"Yeah. That thing about the bees is odd."

Rose snorted and nudged his shoulder. "You would focus on the bees."

"But look at us." Donna shook her head on wonder. "We're everywhere. Is that good or bad, though? I mean, are we like explorers? Or more like a virus?"

"Sometimes I wonder," the Doctor answered truthfully.

"Humans are brilliant," Rose injected. "Just some are... well... not." She shrugged.

Donna focused on the map in front of them, looking at the large red dots covering certain sections. "What are the red dots?"

"Ood distribution centres," the Doctor said.

"Across three galaxies? Don't the Ood get a say in this?"

Rose nodded to the Ood still standing on their pedestals. "Let's ask."

Donna went to the first Ood. "Uh, sorry, but," she tapped his shoulder for attention, "Hello. Tell me, are you all like this?"

The translator ball lit up. "I do not understand, Miss."

"Why do you say Miss? Do I look single?"

"Well, you were offended when Miss Tour Guide over there thought you were married" Rose reminded.

"She thought I was married to an alien!"

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Back to the point."

"Yeah. What I mean is, are there any free Ood? Are there Ood running wild somewhere, like wildebeest?"

"All Ood are born to serve," the first one told her. "Otherwise, we would die."

"But you can't have started like that," Donna insisted. "Before the humans, what were you like?"

The Ood twitched. "The circle."

The Doctor stepped forward. "What do you mean? What circle?"

"The circle... The circle is..."

Solana interrupted, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen. All Ood to hospitality stations, please."

Rose visibly shuddered as the Ood walked past her. "They're crying," she said, just loud enough for the Doctor and Donna to hear her. "They're crying out, so loud. Can't you hear them?"

The Doctor took her hand and gave a reassuring squeeze. "I've had enough of the schmoozing. Do you fancy going off the beaten track?" He held up the map that had been provided in their packet.

"Rough guide to the Ood Sphere?" Donna smiled. "Works for me."

* * *

The three travellers made their way outside as the Doctor used the sonic screwdriver to open the gate leading to the back of the factory, climbing some stairs they stood on a upper catwalk and watched as rows of Ood began to file out of the building. One in the back lost it's footing and fell to his knees. Their leader marched forward and pulled out a whip.

"Get up. I said get up," he demanded harshly, cracking the whip.

Rose covered her mouth, feeling bile rise in her throat. Donna bit out, "Servants? They're slaves!"

The Doctor looked guilty. "Last time we met the Ood, I never thought. I never asked."

"That's not like you."

"I was busy!"

"Trust us, Donna. There was a lot going on that day," Rose commented.

His mind wandered to the pit and thinking that he would have to sacrifice Rose. He sighed. "So busy I couldn't save them. I had to let the Ood die. I reckon I owe them one."

"Friends of the Ood," Rose blurted out then explained, "That's what Danny called me. Time to step up and be a friend." She closed her eyes and focused on the crying in her mind. With all her strength she tried to reassure the Ood that they were coming, and they were going to save them.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Planet of the Ood Part 2**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	6. Planet of the Ood Part 2

**A/N: Wow. Thank you so much to my followers, to those who have already favourited, and to those who have left reviews! Love love love. I really hope you enjoy this next chapter. Feedback would be lovely :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Planet of the Ood. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

As Rose focused and sending her reassurances to the Ood, Donna noticed a man in a sharp business suit make his way across the yard below them.

"That looks like the boss," she pointed out.

The Doctor eyed him. "Let's keep out of his way. Come on." He placed his hand on the small of Rose's back. "We're going to help them, I promise," he whispered in her ear as he lead both women away.

* * *

They slowly made their way around the factory buildings, looking for some sort of "in," and trying to figure out exactly what was happening to the red-eyed Ood. Donna noticed the side door first and whistled loudly when the Doctor and Rose walked right past it. The couple stopped in their tracks and backtracked to where the ginger woman had stopped.

"Where'd you learn to whistle?" the Doctor asked as he soniced the door open.

"West Ham, every Saturday," she answered nonchalantly.

Rose laughed at the Doctor's expression. "You, Donna Noble, are just full of surprises." Her laughter died abruptly as they entered the warehouse. There, stacked one on top of the other, was hundreds and hundreds of shipping containers. A chill ran up her spine.

They walked forward as the Doctor explained, "Ood export. You see?" He pointed to a large claw dangling from the ceiling. The claw device lowered and picked up one of the containers. "Lifts up the containers, takes them to the rocket sheds, ready to be flown out all over the three galaxies."

Donna looked around uneasily. "What, you mean, these containers are full of...?"

"Ood," Rose replied, her voice thick with emotion. "Every single one of these are filled with Ood."

The Doctor walked up to the closet container and opened the wide door, revealing the entire thing to be jam packed with Ood standing silently, waiting for orders. The stench of the un-bathed creatures was almost overpowering.

"Oh, it stinks," Donna commented. "How many of them do you think there are in each one?"

"Hundred? More?" the Doctor guessed.

"A great big empire built on slavery," she said, her tone laced with bitterness.

"It's not so different from your time."

"Oi! I haven't got slaves!"

"Who do you think made your clothes?"

"Is that why you travel round with humans at your side? It's not so you can show them the wonders of the universe, it's so you can take cheap shots?"

"Hey! That's enough you two," Rose snapped. "Doctor, it's not fair of you to make comments like that to her when you know she doesn't condone slavery. Besides, I bought you that shirt your wearing. On Earth. Now stop acting like two year olds. We've got more important issues at hand."

"Sorry," he apologised quietly to both women.

Donna rolled her eyes. "Don't... Spaceman." She gave him a small smile to let him know he was forgiven before turning her attention back to the Ood. "I don't understand, the door is open, why don't you just run away?"

The one standing directly in front of her responded with, "For what reason?"

"You could be free."

The translator ball lit up. "I do not understand the concept."

"They've never been free," Rose realised. "They don't know what free even means."

"What is it with that Persil ball?" Donna questioned. "I mean, they're not born with it, are they? Why do they have to be all plugged in?"

"They're a telepathic race. I think it's so they can communicate with their owners."

The Doctor nodded, Rose was correct. But none of this was helping them figure out what the Ood had meant when they spoke of the circle. "Ood, tell me. Does the circle mean anything to you?"

All the translators lit up as every single Ood answered in unison, "The circle must be broken."

"Oh, that is creepy," Donna exclaimed in an exhale.

"But what is it?" the Doctor continued. "What is the circle?"

"The circle must be broken," the Ood responded.

"Why does the circle need to be broken?" Rose asked loudly so they all could hear.

"So that we can sing."

Suddenly an alarm started blaring, the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand out of habit. "Oh, that's us! Come on."

The three started running through the warehouse, weaving their way through the containers. Donna fell slightly behind the Doctor and Rose and stopped when she noticed an exit to her left. "Wait!" she called out. "There's a door!"

The other two didn't hear her over the alarm and kept running. A few seconds later Rose skid to a stop when she took note that they were alone. "Where'd Donna go?" she asked frantically.

The alarm stopped. "Let's keep moving," he told Rose. "Donna?" he shouted. There was no point trying to hid the fact that they were there now.

"Why'd the alarm stop?" Rose asked, breathlessly following the Time Lord. "They haven't caught us yet."

"I don't-" He stopped and looked up. The claw that was used to lift out the containers was looming overhead. Suddenly it swung down and started chasing them. "Run!"

Rose took off back the way they came, while the Doctor ran straight forward. For the most part the claw device followed him, but occasionally it would swing over Rose, knocking over various containers. She made it to one of the side entrances that seemed to be unguarded and stopped in her tracks when there was a sharp pain in her mind. The Ood were frightened of something and were calling out to her... She slipped out the door and started following the song.

* * *

Just as the claw gained on him, the Doctor lost his footing and sprawled to the ground. He closed his eyes, praying Rose had made it to safety, waiting for the inevitable, when the claw stopped directly over him. He opened his eyes and took the advantage to frozen machine granted him and shimmied out from under it. "Rose?" he yelled. "Rose?" Immediately, two guards surrounded him and pulled his arms behind his back. "Alright, alright. I'm going. Just tell me where my companions are!" Neither responded as they lead him towards another group of guards, including one who seemed to be in charge and the woman from the earlier presentation.

Solana brushed past his side, and said under her breath, "She got away." The Doctor stared at her momentarily before giving a brief nod. He wasn't sure he could fully trust this woman, but at the moment he had no other option.

He turned his head when he heard a shout come from one of the containers. "Doctor! Doctor, get me out of here!" Donna's voice rang out.

"If you don't do what she says, you're really in trouble. Not from me, from her," the Doctor warned.

The man in charge thought for a moment before turning to the other guards. "Unlock the container."

Donna rushed out and ran straight into the Doctor's arms. "Doctor!" she cried. "Where's Rose?" she asked in his ear.

"Not sure. I think she got away," he whispered back. He then said for everyone to hear, "There we go, safe and sound."

"Never mind about me," she said hurriedly and nodded her head towards the container she just exited. "What about them?"

The Ood came spilling out, every single one with red eyes. The first Ood out lifted it's translator ball and used it to electrocute the guard standing directly out the door.

"Red alert. Fire!" the main guard ordered as every guard raised his gun and began shooting the Ood.

Donna screamed in horror as the Doctor began tugging her towards the exit, with Solana hot on their tails.

* * *

Once outside, and a safe distance away, they stopped to catch their breaths. Donna shot Solana a scathing look and said, "If people back on Earth knew what was going on here..."

"Oh, don't be so stupid." The other woman shook her head. "Of course they know."

"They know how you treat the Ood?"

"They don't ask! Same thing."

The Doctor moved to stand directly in front of her. "Solana, you told me Rose, my other friend, got away. Where did she go!?"

"I don't know," she answered truthfully. "I saw her slip out one of the side doors, there was no way I could stop her without alerting the guards."

"Did you see which direction she went?"

"No."

He took a moment to focus, knowing Rose and how strongly she could hear the Ood's song, she would be doing whatever possible to comfort them. If he continued trying to figure out what was happening with the creatures, he was bound to find her. He turned his attention back to Solana. "Then tell me, the Ood aren't born like this. They can't be. A species born to serve could never evolve in the first place. What does the company do to make them obey?"

"That's nothing to do with me," she told him, sounding appalled.

"Oh, what, because you don't ask?"

"That's Dr. Ryder's territory."

He pulled out the map he had been given earlier. "Where's he? What part of the complex? I could help with the red eye. Now show me!"

"There. Beyond the red section." She pointed on the map, her hand shaking with nerves.

"Come with me," he pleaded. "You've seen the warehouse. You can't agree with all this. You let Rose get away. You know this place better than me. You could help."

Solana looked between him and Donna uneasily, for a brief moment they thought she was going to agree before she shouted, "They're over here! Guards! They're over here..." her voice trailed off as the Doctor and Donna took off running once more.

* * *

Rose followed the song to another large, looming building. This is where the melody was strongest, but without the Doctor's sonic screwdriver, she had no way in. "And this is why I need my own," she grumbled under her breath as she hid behind some large barrels. Hopefully someone would open the door soon and perhaps she could slip into the building then.

Ten minutes or so passed before she finally heard footsteps rushing towards her. She peeked her head and was met with the welcome sight of the Doctor and Donna.

"You made it!" she squealed, popping out of her hiding place and into the Doctor's arms.

He embraced her rightly. "Rose?! I was worried sick! Don't just disappear like that!"

She pulled back, her face washed in seriousness. "But don't you hear it?"

"Yes," he whispered. "I didn't need the map. I should have listened." He quickly soniced the door open. As soon as the three were inside, he closed the door and pointed the screwdriver at the lockbox, causing it to spark.

Donna looked at him, exasperated. "Hold on. Does that mean we're locked in?"

Rose gasped as the Ood's song blared in her mind. "Doctor," she whimpered.

He cocked his head. "Listen. Listen, listen, listen, listen." He began making his way towards the sound. He stopped when they got to a lower level and flinched. "Oh, my head."

Rose had tears streaming down her face. The pain was overwhelming her. "It's so much stronger."

"What is it?" Donna asked, wrapping a protective arm around Rose's shoulder.

The Doctor turned to her. "Can't you hear it? The singing?" He flipped a switch causing a few lights to turn on. There in front of them were groups of Ood, all huddled together in cages. As the light shone down on them, the Ood turned their backs to the strangers.

Rose moved to the front of the cage and slid down to her knees. The Ood were crying out, so alone and scared. She felt the Doctor kneel down next to her, brushing her hair back. On the edge of her mind she felt his reassuring presence telling her that she was not like them. She was not alone.

"They look different to the others," Donna commented quietly, slightly confused by Rose's strong reaction.

"That's because they're natural born Ood," the Doctor explained, "unprocessed, before they're adapted to slavery. Unspoilt. That's their song."

"I can't hear it."

"Do you want to?"

She took a second to answer. Did she want to? She wasn't really sure, but she did want to know what was causing Rose and the Doctor so much pain and sadness. "Yeah," she answered him.

"It's the song of captivity," he warned.

"Let me hear it."

"Face me." He placed his fingers on her temple and commanded, "Open your mind. That's it. Hear it, Donna. Hear the music."

Donna pulled back as the Ood's song echoed through her head. It was heartbreaking and beautiful and so sad. Tears welled in her eyes as she watched Rose and the Ood looking silently at one another. It was too much for her to handle. "Take it away," she requested.

"Sure?"

"I can't bear it," she said. She closed her eyes as the Doctor placed his fingers on her temples again. She slowly felt a block being placed before the song cut off. "I'm sorry."

He sniffed. "It's okay."

"But you and Rose can still hear it?" she sobbed out.

"All the time," he told her. He looked at Rose who seemed to be concentrating intensely on the Ood in front of her. "Though, I think it's projecting louder into Rose."

Rose broke her stare and looked at the Doctor. "The TARDIS," she explained shortly. "It's the TARDIS, I think, but I'm not important. Doctor, look at them. They're protecting something. We need to get a closer look." He nodded and began sonicing the cage open as they all stood up.

Donna stopped when she heard a noise at the front door. "They're breaking in!"

"Ah, let them," he told her, entering the cage. "What are you holding?" he asked them quietly.

Rose held out her hand to him when she saw them cower away. She knelt down and looked at the one Ood brave enough to face her. "It's alright, sweetheart." She held her hand to her chest and said, "Friend." She gestured for the Doctor to bend down next to her and to do them same motion. "Friend," she repeated. "What are you holding? Can we see? That's it, sweetheart. You can show us," she encouraged as the Ood outstretched his arms. He opened his hands to reveal a small brain. Rose blinked in surprise. It was all starting to make sense now.

Donna bent down and looked in the Ood's hands. "Is that?"

"It's a brain. A hind brain. The Ood are born with a secondary brain." The Doctor went on to explain, "Like the amygdala in humans, it processes memory and emotions. You get rid of that, you wouldn't be Donna any more. You'd be like an Ood. A processed Ood."

"So the company cuts off their brains?"

"And they stitch on the translator," he finished, unable to his anger.

"Like a lobotomy. I spent all that time looking for you two because I thought it was so wonderful out here. I want to go home.

Rose blinked back her tears as she took the Ood's free hand and placed it back over the brain. "There we go."

A loud crash echoed through the room as they heard a man's voice say, "They're with the Ood, sir."

The man they had seen earlier in the business suit walked towards them. The Doctor slammed the cage door shut and taunted, "What you going to do, then? Arrest me? Lock me up? Throw me in a cage? Well, you're too late. Ha!"

The man just sighed and rolled his eyes. "Bring them to my office," he ordered his guards.

* * *

They were immediately apprehended, unwilling to fight back in such proximity to the unprocessed Ood, and escorted to man's, who's name they learned was Mr. Halpen, office. As soon as they entered, all three were handcuffed to some exposed piping.

"Why don't you just come out and say it? FOTO activists," Mr. Halpen said, trying his best to look intimidating, with Dr. Ryder on his right.

"If that's what Friends Of The Ood are trying to prove, then yes," the Doctor replied.

"The Ood were nothing without us, just animals roaming around on the ice."

"You disgusting pig!" Rose spat out. "They're a telepathic race. Just because your pea sized brain can't understand them doesn't make them animals."

"You can't hear them," the Doctor continued, "so how do you know they were nothing?"

"They welcomed it. It's not as if they put up a fight." Mr. Halpen chuckled.

Donna practically growled, "You idiot. They're born with their brains in their hands. Don't you see, that makes them peaceful. They've got to be, because a creature like that would have to trust anyone it meets!"

"Oh, nice one," the Doctor complimented as Rose cheered, "Well said!"

"Thank you," she accepted.

"The system's worked for two hundred years," Halpen told them. "All we've got is a rogue batch. But the infection is about to be sterilised. Mr. Kess," he said into his comm device, "how do we stand?"

_**"Canisters primed, sir. As soon as the core heats up, the gas is released. Give it two hundred marks and counting,"**_ they heard Kess respond.

"You're going to gas them?" the Doctor practically shouted.

"Kill the livestock. The classic foot and mouth solution from the olden days. Still works." He shrugged.

Rose scoffed. "There is a special place in hell for people like you-" She doubled over and gasped for breath.

"Rose!" The Doctor twisted around his handcuffs, trying to see around Donna to get a better look at her. "Rose, are you alright?!"

"It's the Ood," she cried out. "They're becoming desperate!"

An alarm started blaring. "What the hell?" Halpen muttered as he exited the nearest door.

"They're fighting back," she whispered to her companions. "It's a revolution."

Mr. Halpen and Dr. Ryder strode back in the room. "Change of plan," the former announced.

"There are no reports of trouble off-world, sir. It's still contained to the Ood Sphere," Ryder informed.

"Then we've got a public duty to stop it before it spreads."

"What's happening?" the Doctor questioned.

"Everything you wanted, Doctor. No doubt there'll be a full police investigation once this place has been sterilised, so I can't risk a bullet to the head. I'll leave you to the mercies of the Ood."

"But Mr. Halpen, there's something else, isn't there? Something we haven't seen."

Donna turned to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"A creature couldn't survive with a separate forebrain and hind brain, they'd be at war with themselves. There's got to be something else, a third element, am I right?"

"And again, so clever," Halpen complimented.

"But it's got to be connected to the red eye," the Doctor went on. "What is it?"

The other man drew up close and said, "It won't exist for very much longer. Enjoy your Ood."

"You're right, Mr. Halpen," Rose called out just as the man was about to leave. "He is clever. We all are. And we will find a way to stop you."

He smiled at her. "If you say so, my dear."

"I'm not your dear." She nodded towards the Doctor. "If anyone I'm his. And I do say so!"

As soon as they were alone, all three began tugging at their handcuffs while Donna demanded, "Well, do something. You're the one with all the tricks. You must have met Houdini."

"These are really good handcuffs," the Doctor muttered through clenched teeth.

"Oh well, I'm glad of that. I mean, at least we've got quality," she replied with sarcasm.

"Only the best for you, Donna," Rose gasped out as she tried sliding her hand through the cuffs.

The door in front of them opened suddenly as three Ood entered, all with glowing red eyes. Rose closed her own eyes and began focusing on sending soothing thoughts, but was unsure of how successful she would be.

"Doctor, Donna, Rose friends," the Doctor started repeating over and over again while Donna frantically chanted, "The circle must be broken."

Their voices escalated, but Rose tuned them out as she buried herself deeper in her mind. _"Please, don't harm us. We're here to help,"_ she projected. She heard the Doctor and Donna stop their chants and opened her eyes to see the Ood holding their translator balls directly in front of them. After a moment of silence, the Ood released the makeshift weapons and clutched their heads.

"It's alright," Rose told them, trying to sound calm. "You're alright now, yeah?"

They lifted their heads and the centered Ood answered, "Doctor. Donna. Friends."

The Doctor and Donna both cheered, "Yes! That's us! Friends! Oh, yes!"

"The wolf sang to us."

The Time Lord whipped his head to the left. "What did you do?" he asked Rose.

She laughed nervously as the Ood began releasing their handcuffs. "I'm not really sure."

"Oh, well, that's always reassuring," he commented cheerfully. "Come on!" He grabbed Rose's and Donna's hands and fled the office space.

* * *

Outside, the air was filled with smoke as ash and snow mixed together. At various points on the ground, there were small fires and dead bodies lying about. Gunfire could be heard in the distance.

"I don't know where it is. I don't know where they've gone!" the Doctor said frantically. He turned to Rose, "Can you sense anything?"

She scrunched her face in concentration, but shook her head as a negative. "It's too chaotic!"

"What are we looking for?" Donna yelled over the battle noises around them.

He started running and shouted back, "It might be underground, like some sort of cave, or a cavern, or..." He trailed off and continued running, with both ladies at his side. Without warning, a small explosion went off behind them, throwing all three to the ground. He lifted his face out of the snow. "Are you both alright!?"

"Fine," Rose coughed out as Donna nodded her confirmation. The former pointed behind them as the smoke cleared. "Doctor, look!" Standing there stoically was the Ood that had continuously been by Mr. Halpen's side, Ood Sigma.

"Come," he commanded. "Help."

* * *

They all three got to their feet and quickly began to follow him as he lead them to one of the many warehouse doors. The Doctor's wasted no time and had the sonic screwdriver out and ready as soon as they arrived. He immediately raced inside followed by Rose and Donna, with Ood Sigma bringing up the rear. He stopped on one of the catwalks and looked down. There in the center of the building was a giant brain, pulsing, with live wires attached and an electric currant surrounding it.

"The Ood Brain!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Now it all makes sense, That's the missing link. The third element, binding them together. Forebrain, hind brain, and this, the telepathic centre. It's a shared mind, connecting all the Ood in song."

Rose felt her breath escape her. The song was so powerful.

"Cargo," Mr. Halpen's voice rang out. "I can always go into cargo. I've got the rockets, I've got the sheds. Smaller business. Much more manageable, without livestock."

"He's mined the area," Dr. Ryder warned, as he and the other man drew closer.

"You're going to kill it?" Donna asked, not even pretending to be shocked at this point.

Halpen nodded to the brain. "They found that thing centuries ago beneath the Northern Glacier."

"Those pylons," the Doctor muttered to the ladies.

Rose stared at the energy surrounding the brain. A circle. "This circle must be broken," she whispered in realisation.

"Damping the telepathic field. Stopping the Ood from connecting for two hundred years."

"And you, Ood Sigma, you brought them here. I expected better," Halpen reprimanded.

Ood Sigma moved to stand beside the man. "My place is at your side, sir."

"Still subservient. Good Oo.." He stopped and made a face.

"If that barrier thing's in place," Donna brought up, paying Halpen no mind, "how come the Ood started breaking out?"

"Maybe it's taken centuries to adapt," the Doctor suggested. "The subconscious reaching out?"

Dr. Ryder stepped out from behind his boss. "But the process was too slow. It had to be accelerated. You should never give me access to the controls, Mr. Halpen. I lowered the barrier to its minimum. Friends Of The Ood, sir. It's taken me ten years to infiltrate the company, and I succeeded."

"Yes. Yes, you did." Mr. Halpen gave a charming grin before lifting Ryder off his feet and throwing him over the catwalk.

"No!" Rose screamed as they reached over the rails, hopelessly trying to help. They all watched as Ryder landed on the brain and was absorbed in an instant.

"You murdered him!" Donna accused.

Halpen lifted a gun and pointed it directly at her. "Very observant, Ginger." The Doctor placed his hands on Donna's shoulders and guided her to stand behind him, along with Rose. The other man continued, "Now, then. Can't say I've ever shot anyone before. Can't say I'm going to like it. But, eh, it's not exactly a normal day, is it? Still."

"Would you like a drink, sir?" Ood Sigma asked, holding up a small shot glass.

"I think hair loss is the least of my problems right now, thanks."

"Please have a drink, sir," he insisted, moving to stand directing in front of the Doctor and his companions.

Halpen's hand began to shake and was forced to use both arms to hold the gun. "If- if you're going to stand in their way, I'll shoot you too."

The Doctor placed his hand on the Ood's shoulder as Rose told him, "It's okay, Sigma. Go ahead and move."

The Ood ignored their warnings and repeated, "Please have a drink, sir."

"Have... have you poisoned me?" he stuttered, his eyes wide in fear.

"Natural Ood must never kill, sir."

"What is that stuff?" the Doctor requested.

"Ood graft suspended in a biological compound, sir."

"Oh, dear."

"Tell me!" Halpen demanded.

Rose moved closer. "Doctor, what's going on?"

"Funny thing, the subconscious. Takes all sorts of shapes. Came out in the red eye as revenge, came out in the rabid Ood as anger, and then there was patience. All that intelligence and mercy, focused on Ood Sigma." He smiled at the man pointing the gun at him. "How's the hair loss, Mr. Halpen?"

Halpen's hand flew to his head, pulling away a large chunk on his already thinning hair. "What have you done?" he cried.

"Oh, they've been preparing you for a very long time. And now you're standing next to the Ood Brain, Mr. Halpen, can you hear it? Listen."

Halpen began to convulse barely spitting out, "What have you... I'm not..." His face went blank as he lifted his hands to his head and began to peel his skin from his skull, as that was happening tentacles started pouring from his mouth. Within seconds he was no longer Mr. Halpen.

Rose stared at the sight in front of her. "Oh, my god."

"They... they turned him into an Ood?" Donna questioned, unsure if she could believe what she'd just witnessed.

"Yep," was the Doctor's short response.

"He's an Ood."

"I noticed."

The Ood that was formally Halpen gave a small groan before spitting a small brain into his hands.

"He has become Oodkind, and we will take care of him," Ood Sigma assured.

Donna rubbed at her temples. "It's weird, being with you. I can't tell what's right and what's wrong any more."

Rose rubbed her arm. "Yeah, welcome to the club."

"It's better that way," the Doctor told them. "People who know for certain tend to be like Mr. Halpen." They heard a beeping noise. "Oh!" He reached over the railing an deactivated the explosives. "That's better. And now, Sigma, would you allow me the honour?"

Ood Sigma gave a small bow. "It is yours, Doctor."

"Oh, yes!" He turned and began typing out instructions on the closest computar terminal. "Stifled for two hundred years, but not any more. The circle is broken. The Ood can sing." The Doctor flipped the final switch and the currant running around the brain shut off. Slowly, a joyous melody started wafting through their minds. Ood Sigma raised his hands, relishing in his people's song.

Rose laughed happily and threw her arms around the Doctor's neck. "We did it!" she squealed, pulling him in for the congratulatory snog they usually saved for private.

Donna just grinned, ignoring the lovesick couple. "I can hear it!" she cheered.

* * *

When all was said and done, they learned that there were several more FOTO activists that had infiltrated the company to various degrees. After being assured that the Ood would no longer be considered a slave race, the Doctor left the activists in charge of clearing out the factories and leaving the planet to the Ood. To say goodbye to their saviours, a small group of Ood, led by Ood Sigma, escorted the travellers back to the TARDIS.

"We thank you, DoctorDonna, friends of Oodkind. And we thank the wolf as well, that sang to us. And what of you now? Will you stay? There is room in the song for you," Sigma offered.

"Oh, I've, I've sort of got a song of my own, thanks," the Doctor responded.

Ood Sigma cocked his head. "I think your song must end soon."

Rose felt a chill up her spine as the Doctor said, "Meaning?"

"Every song must end."

"But not for a very long time," Rose injected vehemently. "Sometimes... Sometimes the song just changes."

"Perhaps," he conceded.

"Yeah." The Doctor eyed them both carefully before he turned to Donna."Uh, what about you? You still want to go home?"

She smiled at him. "No. Definitely not."

"Then we'll be off," he told their hosts.

The Ood raised their hands as a new song began. "Take this song with you," Sigma requested.

Rose smiled. "Thank you."

"We will," Donna said gratefully.

"Always," the Doctor promised.

"And know this, Doctor Donna. You and the wolf will never be forgotten. Our children will sing of the DoctorDonna and their wolf, and our children's children, and the wind and the ice and the snow will carry your names forever."

* * *

Back inside the TARDIS, the Doctor started the dematerialisation sequence. Donna shucked her heavy coat off and sniffed. "Whew. I'm need a shower, I'm a bit rank. How about I go clean up and when I'm done you, Spaceman, can take Rose and I out for a nice meal. Something that won't involve us having to save the waiters from an evil tyrannical maitre d'."

He rolled his eyes. "I'll see what I can do."

"Good." She began walking in the direction of her bedroom and called out, "Give me about thirty minutes."

The Doctor turned back and saw Rose sitting on the jump seat, having taken off her own coat, and was staring stoically at the time rotor. He sat down next to her and took her hand. "You okay?"

She broke her gaze and gave him a small smile. "Happy for the Ood," she responded quietly. "They kept calling me wolf... Why?"

"Telepathic race," he reasoned. "Suppose they just sensed it in you."

"It's a bit weird, when I get called that, I mean." She paused as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Doctor?"

"Hmm?"

"Ood Sigma said that your song was gonna end. What does that mean?"

"He said he _thought _my song was going to end, and I'm not really sure, to be quite honest. The Ood are a rather enigmatic bunch."

"You regenerated in my dream last night," she whispered.

He sat up straighter, forcing her head to lift. "What?"

"It started out really weird. First I was on this empty street and I kept hearing all there strange whispers about a pack returning or something. Then, the next thing I know, I'm drowning and I hear some woman tell me to turn left. I didn't know what she meant by that..." she trailed off.

"What happened then?" he prompted.

"I ended up in here," she gestured to the control room, "all alone. The door slammed open and you came in, looking terrible. Like you were sick or something. I tried talking to you, but you were ignoring me." She scrunched her brow. "Or may you couldn't hear me, I don't know. You only said one thing, 'I don't want to go.' And that was that. You started to regenerate."

"And then?"

"Then I woke up."

Oh," he groaned. "I wanted to know what I would look like next!"

Her features turned to stone. "Do you find this funny? Think I'm joking around here?"

"No! No, of course not." The Doctor put his arm around her and drew her close. "Just wondering whether I'll be as good looking as I am now."

Rose placed her hands on either side of his face. "You know none of that matters to me, right? I don't care how old or young you may look. I won't care. I'll still love you."

"I know," he confirmed with a smile. "You don't have anything to worry about, you know. I don't plan on regenerating any time soon."

"Do you ever plan to?"

"Good point. I still try to avoid it though."

"I'm not ready to lose this you."

"You won't."

"I will someday."

"Not for a very long time."

"Every song must end," she quoted Ood Sigma.

He kissed the top of her head. "Rose, love, do you remember what you just told him? Sometimes songs don't end. They just change."

"But my dream-"

"Was just a dream."

She sniffed. "Didn't feel like it."

"Trust me, I know what you mean." At that moment, Rose stomach chose to growl. Quite loudly. The Doctor gave a hearty laugh and helped her to her feet. "Come on. I think we could use our own showers, then I will take you and Donna to go get some food."

"Yeah, okay." She stood and pecked his cheek. "Oooh, do you think you could take us to an old fashioned diner or some place real kitchy like that?"

"Course I can! Allons-y, Rose Tyler. The sooner we get cleaned up, the sooner we can go."

"You know... If we shower together it would save time," she said in a sing-song voice.

He wrapped his arms around her from behind. "I like the way you think."

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Sontaran Stratagem**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	7. The Sontaran Stratagem Part 1

**A/N: Hello, lovely readers! As always, many thanks to my followers, to those who have favorited, and to everyone who has taken the time to review. I adore you all and I sincerely hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**(Side note: One of my dear friends from Teaspoon, Ashlanielle, has created an account on FF and has started posting her amazing stories. Go check her out!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode The Sontaran Stratagem. Credit for those lines belong to the respective writers.***

* * *

Rose was laughing and smiling, and honestly, the Doctor didn't think there was anything in his world better than seeing a happy Rose Tyler. Much to Donna's amusement, the Doctor had taken his companions to a planet where wearing the most outlandish hats possible were the norm and completely expected. Both women had donned big floppy sun hats, courtesy of the wardrobe room, but were instantly swept into one of the many millineries by the friendly locals who claimed their hats needed to be 'more eccentric.'

As he perused the many racks of headwear, the Doctor peeked over one of the shelves and grinned in delight at the sight of Rose and Donna whispering and giggling with one another. He should probably be worried, most likely their mirth was because of him, but he honestly didn't care as long as Rose was happy. She'd been having a rough go of it, come nighttime. If not plagued by nightmares or odd dreams, she was afraid of falling asleep for fear of these dreams she was having. She was terrified that the visions she was having during her sleep cycle were prophecies for their future. Their immediate future. The Doctor wasn't convinced, though he couldn't deny the oddity of them and how the dreams were affecting Rose.

Donna's presence was helping though. He knew that the ladies had begun spending more time alone together, while he made various repairs (or at least pretended to) to the TARDIS, and that Rose was slowly but surely opening up to Donna about the trials she had gone through in the past few years. He would be lying if he didn't admit that Donna had been a healing presence for him as well. There was just something about the fiery red head that put the Doctor at ease. She drove him completely barmy at times, but he couldn't deny that he would love for her to travel him and Rose for as long as possible.

* * *

It had been three weeks since Donna Noble had started travelling with the Doctor and Rose Tyler, and she couldn't imagine doing anything else with her life. How had she survived the boredom of her day to day life before meeting them? Sure, she missed her gramps, and even her mum... a bit... but this life, this new crazy life she was apart of was the most wonderful and frightening thing possible. And she loved it.

The people she travelled with were unlike any couple she had ever known before (being not human aside). They were incredibly private about their love life and besides the few times Donna had caught them flirting or sharing a quick snog in the control room, she never saw them behave the way most young couples do. Especially outside of the TARDIS. The Doctor would still hold Rose's hand and occasionally give her a peck on the lips, but for the most part they played the role of just friends in "public." It was a bit odd to Donna and she was determined to find out why.

She shoved a large black hat covered in fluffy feathers on her head. "What do you think?" she asked the other woman.

Rose scrunched her face. "No. It's a bit funeral for a swan. Sorry," she apologised to the local standing on the other side of her looking highly offended.

"So," she tried to start casually, "how're things with the Doctor?"

"Fine," the blonde answered carefully. "Why?"

"Just curious."

"About me and the Doctor?"

"Suppose."

"You're acting weird. You didn't drink that purple drink they offered us right? Remember what the Doctor said."

Donna rolled her eyes. "I know, I know, stomach cramps and hallucinations for days. I was listening and no, I did not drink the purple drink."

"Good." She smiled, seemingly satisfied. "So, why are you asking after the Doctor and myself when you're with us constantly?"

"Not at night when you are up to god knows what in that bedroom of yours."

Rose gave a tongue in teeth grin and said teasingly, "Do you want to be?"

The ginger woman's eyes grew wide as she sputtered, "What!? Ew. Ew. Ew. No!"

"Donna, I'm just messin' with ya."

"I know that, but still, the thought of it! No, thank you." She started again, "I'm just curious what he's like with you when you're alone."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, when we're outside of the TARDIS, he doesn't really treat you like a girlfriend, or wife, or partner, or whatever term you crazy kids are using these days. He even seems to hold back when I'm around. I was just wondering if he treats you like that in privacy as well. And if he does, how do you possibly handle it?"

"The Doctor's just a very private person. It took as a long time to be where we are, relationship wise, and I think he likes to keep what's between us... between us. Does that make sense?" Rose shook her head a bit. "I also think it scares him a bit."

Donna frowned. "How so?"

"Obviously the Doctor and I are close, whether we snog openly or not, we like to flirt, a lot, and sometimes certain bad guys and what not use that to threaten the Doctor. Hurt me, hurt him. I think _he_ thinks it would be worse if we were more open about our relationship. And he's probably right. It doesn't really bother me, though. I know he's not ashamed."

"Course he isn't. He'd be a fool if he was."

"He gets really jealous though, if other blokes flirt with me." The blonde gave a large grin. "Gets all caveman, he does, and likes to make it known that I'm his."

She began laughing. "Oh, I bet he does. Sort of hard to picture though. Bit skinny to be all mister manly man."

Rose blushed. "Trust me, Donna, don't like the geek chic fool ya. He can be very..." She cleared her throat. "Well, he can definitely lay his claim."

"Oh. My. God. I am not hearing this!" Donna said, scandalised. "You, missy, need to stop right there."

Rose just shrugged, seemingly nonchalant. "I think I like this one." She held up a light pink beret that had tiny roses woven into it, before holding up a straw cowboy hat. "Think I'll get this for the Doctor too."

"Five quid says you can't get him to wear it cause he'll be too afraid of messin' up his hair!"

"You're on."

By the end of the day Rose was five quid richer. "It's all about the compliments," she told Donna as the other woman handed over her winnings. "That Time Lord loves to have his ego stroked. Among other things," she added with a wink, much to Donna's horror.

* * *

The next morning, Donna had come to a decision as she marched to the control room.

"You want to do what!?" the Doctor exclaimed after his newest companion made her request.

"I want to fly the TARDIS," she repeated.

Rose gave a light chuckle at the pair in front of her. "Donna, not even I can fly the TARDIS. And we're connected." She tapped her temple.

Donna crossed her arms and looked every bit like a pouting child. "But the Doctor at least lets you help. I never get to help!"

"That's because you're new... and Rose and I have a system!" the Doctor defended.

"I've been with you going on a month, yeah? I think you could at least let me push a button or something."

"She has a point, Doctor," Rose said in a sing song voice. "At least let her help."

* * *

How Donna convinced the Doctor to actually let her take over, he'll never know. But somehow... she did.

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Donna said gleefully.

"No, neither can I. Oh, careful." He pulled out a hammer and began hitting the console and shifting a couple of levers.

"Stop that," Rose growled pulling the hammer out of his hands.

He looked at he sheepishly. "Sorry." He was about to lean in for a kiss before he realised Donna and taken control again. "Left hand down. Left hand down!" he ordered. "Getting a bit too close to the 1980s!"

"What am I going to do, put a dent in them?" Donna asked sarcastically.

"Well, someone did."

Out of nowhere a ringing sounded through the control room.

The woman flying the TARDIS stopped what she was doing. "Hold on. That's a phone."

Rose's eyes widened in shock. "Sorry. That's me." It was her mobile. She still carried it with her, purely out of habit. Not many people called her anymore. She didn't recognise the number on the screen, but answered anyway. "Hello?" She nodded, a grin spreading across her face. "Text me the date, time, and location. See you soon!" When she hung up she looked to the Doctor. "That was Martha. Remember what she said when she left?"

"When she called we better come running," he recalled.

"Time to run." She handed him the phone so he could input their destination from the text their friend had sent. "We're being summoned back to Earth."

"A summons. How very interesting."

The Doctor immediately went about directing the TARDIS to their new location. He was so focused on wanting to get the timing right, he missed the panic that was flashing across Rose's face. Donna didn't though.

"You alright?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," Rose responded, giving a light smile. "It's just... I've talked to Martha a few times. We-We've texted. But I haven't really seen or spoke to her since we said goodbye. I wanted to give her space to recover."

Donna nodded. Rose had begun opening up to her recently about her time being held captive by some other Time Lord called the Master, and she knew Martha had been caught up in it all as well. "You sure you want to go?"

"Course I do. I miss her. I just, I don't know. I'm being silly, I guess."

"Nah. Not silly at all."

They felt the TARDIS land, surprisingly smoothly. "We're here," the Doctor announced, turning to his companions. "Everything alright?"

"Yep!" Donna answered cheerfully. "Just having a bit of girl talk."

He looked between them, suspiciously, but finally shrugged. "Right then." He held his hand out to Rose. "Ready?"

She squeezed his hand. "As I'll ever be."

* * *

They exited the TARDIS and spotted their former companion right away.

"Martha Jones," the Doctor greeted proudly.

"Doctor," she responded with a nod before rushing to his arms.

Rose took a moment to take in the other woman's appearance. Her hair was longer and hanging straight (a style she knew Martha preferred when going out on the town), and she was wearing a black uniform of sorts. The way she carried herself reminded Rose of a soldier.

"Rose!" Martha squealed, letting go of the Doctor and embracing her instead.

Rose returned the hug before pulling back and saying, "Hi!"

"You haven't changed a bit," the Doctor told her, though Rose knew he was mentally cataloging the differences.

Martha smiled. "Neither have you. You looking really great," she complimented Rose.

"Thank you. You too," she responded. "What about your family. How are they doing?"

"You know... Not so bad. Recovering. And you?"

"Same here. How about you though?"

Martha heard the TARDIS doors close and looked behind the couple's shoulders. "Right. Should have known. Didn't take you long to replace me, then," she said when she saw the ginger woman.

Rose shook her head. "It's not like that, Martha. We could never just replace you...

She gave a small smile. "I know."

The Doctor looked uneasily between all three women. "Now, don't start fighting. Martha, Donna. Donna, Martha. Please don't fight. Can't bear fighting."

The blonde to his right scoffed. "Sarah Jane and I never fought. We bickered."

"Hush, you two." Donna stepped forward and shook Martha's hand. "I've heard all about you! They talk about you all the time."

"I dread to think," Martha replied, surprised that her former travelling companions brought her up in conversation after everything that went through in the end.

"No! It's all been good things. Told me you saved the world!"

She smiled widely as she brushed her hair behind her ear. "Well, I had some help."

"Oh my god!" Rose exclaimed when she caught sight of Martha's left hand, particularly her ring finger.

The other woman followed her gaze and asked, "Who's the lucky man?"

The Doctor frowned. "What man? Lucky what?"

"She's engaged, you prawn." Martha held up her hand and flashed her engagement ring at the Doctor.

"Really? Who to?" He looked to Rose. "Did you know about this?"

"Nope!" she denied, she and Martha had only texted a few times since they'd last seen each other and only to really check in.

"It's to that Tom Milligan I met during... " Martha cleared her throat. "He's in pediatrics. Working out in Africa right now. And yes, I know, I've got a doctor who disappears off to distant places. Tell me about it."

"Is he skinny?" Donna injected suddenly.

"No, he's sort of strong."

"He," she pointed to the Doctor, "is too skinny for words. You give him a hug, you get a paper cut. How Rose isn't covered in plasters, I'll never know."

"Donna!" Rose gasped in embarrassment while the Doctor mumbled, "Oh, I'd rather you were fighting."

Suddenly a voice came over walkie-talkie clipped to Martha's waste. **_"Dr. Jones, report to base, please. Over." _**

"Speaking of which," Martha muttered then replied into the walkie-talkie, "This is Dr. Jones. Operation Blue Sky is go, go, go. I repeat, this is a go."

* * *

They all followed Martha out of the alley they had parked in and watched as a large convoy of jeeps, trucks, and what seemed to be soldiers, running by. The convoy made it's way to the warehouse in front of them quickly and efficiently as someone said over a loud speaker, **_"All workers, lay down your tools and surrender." _**

"Greyhound Six to Trap One. B Section, go, go, go. Search the ground floor. Grid pattern delta," Martha reported into her walkie-talkie.

"What are you searching for?" the Doctor asked loudly over the din of what was happening around them.

"Illegal aliens," she shouted to him.

They heard the voice of the speaker say, **_"This is a UNIT operation. All workers lay down your tools and surrender immediately." _**From where they stood, they could see the soldiers forcing the factory workers to their knees as they began searching them.

"B section mobilised. E section, F section, on my command," Martha ordered before running off to join her troops.

Rose felt her heart plummet. It was too much. Sensory overload, some might say. And to top it all off, the way Martha was acting? This wasn't the same Martha Jones they met in at the Royal Hope Hospital. "I don't like this," she whispered to the Doctor.

Before he could respond, Donna said, "Is that what you did to her? Turned her into a soldier?"

He didn't answer, but instead clutched Rose to his side tightly. Would his poor girl never catch a break? Or was she to be forever reminded of the time she was held captive by the Master.

* * *

A few minutes later Martha walked back to their sides. "Everything alright?" she asked, seeing Rose's pale face.

"Fine," the Doctor answered tightly before catching sight of the badge his former companion was wearing. "And you're qualified now. You're a proper doctor."

She grinned proudly and nodded for them to follow her. "UNIT rushed it through, given my experience in the field. Here we go. We're establishing a field base on site. They're dying to meet you," she told the Doctor as she climbed in the back of a pantechnicon truck.

"Wish I could say the same," the Doctor said under his breath.

* * *

Rose was rather surprised by the content in the back of the truck. If she hadn't known better she would have thought they were in some posh office space, what with all the high tech equipment and leather office chairs strewn about the place.

"Operation Blue Sky complete, sir," Martha reported to her commanding officer. "Thanks for letting me take the lead. And, this is the Doctor. Doctor, Colonel Mace."

The man being introduced stared in awe at the Time Lord before him and stood up straight, giving a respectful salutation. "Sir."

The Doctor backed away. "Oh, don't salute."

"But it's an honour, sir. I've read all the files on you. Technically speaking, you're still on staff. You never resigned," Mace regaled.

"What?" Rose exclaimed. "All this time you've had a job yet I'm still the one paying for chips?"

Donna laughed as she tried to picture the Doctor actually having a job. "You really used to work for them?"

"Yeah, long time ago. Back in the 70's. Or was it the 80's?" He sniffed and took in their surroundings. "But it was all a bit more homespun back then."

"Times have changed, sir," Mace told him.

"Yeah, that's enough of the sir."

Martha smiled knowingly, having expected the Doctor to behave this way, as she lead them closer to the computer bank. "Come on, though, Doctor. You've seen it. You've been on board the Valiant." She missed the way Rose stiffened. "We've got massive funding from the United Nations, all in the name of Home World Security."

"A modern UNIT for the modern world," Mace agreed.

"What, and that means arresting ordinary factory workers, in the streets, in broad daylight?" Donna questioned harshly. "It's more like Guantanamo Bay out there. Donna, by the way. Donna Noble, since you didn't ask. I'll have a salute."

Mace looked to the Doctor who only gave him a short nod. "Mu'm.

"Thank you. And that lady next to the Doctor is Rose Tyler since you're still not asking. I think she deserves a salute as well."

Mace did as directed, giving Rose a respectful acknowledgement. "Ta," the young blonde said bashfully.

"Tell me," the Doctor said loudly, directing the attention off Rose, "what's going on in that factory?" He sat down next to some of the UNIT workers.

"Yesterday, fifty two people died in identical circumstances, right across the world, in eleven different time zones. Five a.m. in the UK, six a.m. in France, eight a.m. in Moscow, one p.m. in China," Mace informed.

He observed the map being displayed on a large screen. "You mean they died simultaneously?"

"Exactly. Fifty two deaths at the exact same moment, worldwide."

Rose furrowed her brow. "What like one giant coincidence? How'd they die?"

Mace looked at the Doctor. "They were all inside their cars."

"They were poisoned," Martha clarified. "I checked the biopsies. No toxins. Whatever it is, left the system immediately."

The Doctor looked intrigued. "What have the cars got in common?"

"Completely different makes. They're all fitted with ATMOS, and that is the ATMOS factory."

"What's ATMOS?"

"Oh, come on. Even I know that. Everyone's got ATMOS," Donna said in disbelief. "You've really never heard of it?"

The Doctor shrugged as Rose scrunched her brow. "I remember Mickey mentioning something that sounded like that ages ago, but it hadn't come out yet. It was just being talked about in the shop."

"Well," he stood to his feet, "let's go find out more!"

* * *

"Stands for Atmospheric Omission System. Fit ATMOS in your car, it reduces CO2 emissions to zero," Martha explained as they made their way through an upper level of the ATMOS factory.

The Doctor looked shocked. "Zero? No carbon, none at all?"

Donna preened over knowing something the Doctor didn't and nodded enthusiastically. "And you get sat-nav and twenty quid in shopping vouchers if you introduce a friend. Bargain."

"And this is where they make it, Doctor," Mace directed as they watched the UNIT soldiers who were continuing to round up the factory workers. "Shipping worldwide. Seventeen factories across the globe, but this is the central depot, sending ATMOS to every country on Earth."

"And you think ATMOS is alien," he stated.

"It's our job to investigate that possibility. Doctor?" Mace lead them through a plastic curtain and into an office space where the device in question was laid out. "And here it is, laid bare. ATMOS can be threaded through any and every make of car."

The Doctor put on his glasses began examining the contents. "You must've checked it, before it went on sale."

Martha nodded. "We did. We found nothing. That's why I thought we needed an expert."

"Really. who'd you get?" Rose elbowed his side. "Oh, right. Me, yes. Good."

With a shared grin, Mace and Martha left the office space, to give the Doctor his privacy. When they'd gone Donna asked quietly, "Okay. So why would aliens be so keen on cleaning up our atmosphere?"

The Doctor held up the ATMOS device. "A very good question."

"Maybe they're like hippie aliens," Rose brought up. "I mean, we've met some pretty peace loving species before. Not on Earth... but still."

"Rose has a point," Donna agreed. "Maybe they want to help. Get rid of pollution and stuff"

He put down the ATMOS and looked at both of his companions seriously. "Do you know how many cars there are on planet Earth? Eight hundred million. Imagine that. If you could control them, you'd have eight hundred million weapons."

"So, probably not hippie aliens." Rose sighed.

The Doctor shook his head and began dismantling the device. "Probably not."

* * *

Twenty minutes later and the Doctor had taken the ATMOS completely apart. At some point Donna had wandered off to have a look around, but promised to stay within earshot. She offered for Rose to go with her, but the other woman felt more comfortable at the Doctor's side. Even if the only way she could help was occasionally holding the sonic screwdriver when he needed both his hands. Martha and Mace reentered for a progress report.

"Ionising nano-membrane carbon dioxide converter. Which means that ATMOS works. Filters the CO2 at a molecular level," the Doctor explained.

"We know all that," Mace said, trying not to sound exasperated, "but what's its origin? Is it alien?" He leaned over to get a better look at what the Doctor was doing.

"No. Decades ahead of its time." He paused when he felt Rose's hand grab his arm. He peered out of the corner of his eye and saw the Mace was leaning rather close to Rose. Not inappropriately, but he knew the gun on the Colonel's side was making her uncomfortable. "Look, do you mind? Could you stand back a bit?"

Mace stepped back. "Sorry, have I done something wrong?"

"You're carrying a gun. I don't like people with guns hanging around me, all right?" he told him, slightly harsher than he meant to sound, but he was worried about Rose.

"If you insist."

"Tetchy," Martha commented when Mace had left the area.

The Doctor continued to examine the device. "Well, it's true."

"He's a good man," she said heatedly.

"People with guns are usually the enemy in my books. You seem quite at home."

Rose groaned inwardly. She knew the Doctor was just trying to protect her, but that was a low blow.

Martha's expression grew dark. "If anyone got me used to fighting, it's you."

"Oh right, so it's my fault."

"Well, you got me the job. Besides, look at me. Am I carrying a gun?"

He took in her appearance. "Suppose not."

"It's all right for you. You can just come and go, but some of us have got to stay behind. So I've got to work from the inside, and by staying inside, maybe I stand a chance of making them better."

"Yeah?" He smiled proudly. "That's more like Martha Jones."

"I learned from the best."

"Well-"

"Yeah, Rose was a great teacher."

The Doctor sat up straighter. "Hey!" he tried sounding offended, but felt a rush of relief when he heard Rose giggling. At least she seemed a little better at the moment.

"Oi, you lot!" Donna announced as she entered the room. "All your storm troopers and your sonics. You're rubbish. Should've come with me." Mace, having heard the loud woman's voice, came in as well.

"Why, where have you been?"

"Personnel," she answered. "That's where the weird stuff's happening, in the paperwork. Because I spent years working as a temp, I can find my way round an office blindfold, and the first thing I noticed is an empty file."

"Why, what's inside it? Or what's not inside it?" he clarified.

"Sick days. There aren't any." She held up an empty binder. "Hundreds of people working here and no one's sick. Not one hangover, man flu, sneaky little shopping trip, nothing. Not ever. They don't get ill."

"How is that even possible?" Rose asked.

Mace agreed and pulled the binder out of Donna's hands. "That can't be right."

"You've been checking out the building. Should've been checking out the workforce," she told the man.

"I can see why they like you," Martha mused.

Donna shot the Doctor a smug look. "Mmm hmm."

"You are good."

"Super temp."

"Dr. Jones, set up a medical post," Colonel Mace commanded. "Start examining the workers. I'll get them sent through."

She nodded. "Come on, Donna. Give me a hand."

The Doctor left his former and newest companion to it and ran after the Colonel with Rose by his side. "So this, this ATMOS thing. Where'd it come from?"

"Luke Rattigan himself," Mace supplied.

"And himself would be?"

"I don't know," Rose commented, "but with a name like that he already sounds fishy."

* * *

Mace led them back to the mobile headquarters and brought up Luke Rattigan's file. "Child genius. Invented the Fountain Six search engine when he was twelve years old. Millionaire overnight. Now runs the Rattigan Academy. A private school, educating students handpicked from all over the world."

"A hot house for geniuses? Sounds like just the place for you, Doctor," Rose told him, a teasing smile playing on her lips. When Mace shot them a disgruntled look she added in a false whisper, "He gets lonely."

The Doctor squeezed her hand. "I think you're right. Though not about the lonely part," he added in her ear. "I think I'd like to meet this Luke Rattigan."

"I'll escort you," Mace confirmed with a nod before stalking off towards the ATMOS factory.

"Wait," he said after the other man had left. "Did he just say he'd escort me? No, ta!" He held tightly to Rose's hand and raced after the Colonel.

* * *

"You are not coming with me," the Doctor practically shouted as soon as they'd caught up with the Colonel in the factory. "I want to talk to this Luke Rattigan, not point a gun at him."

Mace continued to walk quickly and efficiently. "It's ten miles outside London. How are you going to get there?"

"Well then, get me a jeep," he conceded.

"According to the records you travel by TARDIS."

"Yeah, but if there is a danger of hostile aliens, I think it's best to keep a super-duper time machine away from the front lines."

"I see. Then you do have weapons, but you choose to keep them hidden-"

"Hold on!" Rose interrupted. "The TARDIS is not a weapon. And you best remember that," she instructed fiercely.

Mace held back an eye roll. "Whatever you say, mu'm. Jenkins?"

A young man, around the same age as Rose, looked up. "Sir?"

"You will accompany the Doctor and take orders from him."

"Yeah, I don't do orders. Rose might want to, if she feels so inclined. She'll be coming with us as well."

The Colonel looked as if he was going to protest, but decided against it. "Any sign of trouble, get Jenkins to declare a Code Red. And good luck, sir." He saluted.

The Doctor sighed and reminded, "I said no salutes."

"Now you're giving orders."

"Oh, you're getting a bit cheeky, you are."

Rose grinned and watched the man walk away. "I think he secretly likes you."

"Doctor! Rose!" Donna called out, appearing behind them.

"Oh, just in time." The Doctor grabbed her hand and pulled her over to where Rose was waiting for their jeep. "Come on, come on, we're going to the country. Fresh air and geniuses, what more could you ask?"

Donna looked uneasily between them and said seriously, "I'm not coming with you. I've been thinking. I'm sorry. I'm going home."

He blinked. "Really?"

Rose felt her stomach drop. Had they done something wrong? Perhaps, she had shared to much about the horrors she'd faced with the Master. Maybe she'd finally scared her off. But Donna had asked! Had told Rose she could talk about anything with her. "Donna... Why?"

The red head shrugged. "I've got to."

The Doctor swallowed deeply. "Oh, if that's what you want. I mean, it's a bit soon. I had so many places I had wanted to take you. The Fifteenth Broken Moon of the Medusa Cascade, the Lightning Skies of Cotter Palluni's World, Diamond Coral Reefs of Kataa Flo Ko. Thank you. Thank you, Donna Noble, it's been brilliant. You've, you've been wonderful for us in so many ways. You're," he finally noticed the confused look on Donna's face, "you're just popping home for a visit, that's what you mean."

"What!?" Rose wiped a tear from her eye.

The other woman shook her head. "You dumbos."

"And then you're coming back," he finished.

"You're just going home for a visit?" Rose crossed her arms and glared at Donna. "Then why did you have to go and sound like the world was ending!?"

Donna hugged her friend. "Like I would leave you two."

"Ready when you are, sir, mu'm," Jenkins informed them politely, climbing into the driver's side of their borrowed jeep.

"Come on," Donna told them, "you can give me a lift. Broken moon of what?" she asked the Doctor once they were situated in the vehicle.

He sighed dramatically. "I know, I know."

With having Donna in the jeep as well, there weren't enough seats for all four adults. "Should I just stay here?" Rose questioned, nervously looking around, from the outside.

"Nah!" The Doctor grabbed her hand and pulled her up and onto his lap. "There we are. Nice and cozy!"

Donna eyed them. "Just watch those hands, you two," she warned. "I want to see them at all times."

Knowing the reaction she would get from their friend, and feeling much better now that they were away from most of the craziness at the ATMOS factory, Rose gave a loud gasp as their vehicle left the warehouse. "Why, Doctor, is that the sonic screwdriver in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

The Doctor winked and pulled the sonic from the inside of his jacket pocket. "Now, Rose, you know I keep my screwdriver in my jacket, not my trousers."

Jenkins sputtered and jerked the steering wheel, causing everyone to fly to their left. "Sorry! Sorry!" he apologised embarrassedly.

Donna smacked the Doctor's shoulder. "Look what you two have done to the poor kid. You're gonna get us killed behaving like that. Honestly," she turned to Rose, "what happened to not being affectionate in public?"

"Sorry, mum," Rose replied, sounding anything but apologetic.

Donna turned to the young soldier driving their jeep. "You better demand a pay raise after this."

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Sontaran Stratagem Part 2**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	8. The Sontaran Stratagem Part 2

**A/N: Hello lovelies :) Many many thanks to my followers, to those who have favourited, and to those who have reviewed! Enjoy this next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode The Sontaran Stratagem. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

After dropping Donna off at her mum's, with promises of meeting back at the factory in a few hours, the Doctor and Rose continued their journey to Rattigan Academy with their UNIT escort driving.

Rose shifted in her seat (her own seat now that they'd dropped off Donna) and turned to their driver. "So, tell me... Sorry what was your name again?"

"Jenkins, mu'm," he answered automatically.

"And the name your mum gave ya?"

He smiled shyly. "Ross, mu'm."

"Alright, alright. Enough of the mu'm business. I'm Rose and this is the Doctor. No need for formalities," she teased. "So, tell me, Ross, how long have you been with UNIT?"

Ross nodded and responded, "Going on four years. My dad worked for them my entire life. Of course, as a child I had no idea what he really did."

"What was your dad's name?" the Doctor chimed in.

"Albert."

"Albert Jenkins... Albert Jenkins. Huh. Can't seem to recall an Albert Jenkins."

"No, sir," he stopped when Rose cleared his throat and corrected, "No. My dad never worked with you personally, though he always heard stories about you."

"Good ones, I hope," the Doctor said.

"I always thought so."

* * *

They continued their small chatter until they made it to the grounds of their destination. Ross began explaining, "UNIT's been watching Rattigan Academy for ages. It's all a bit Hitler Youth. Exercise at dawn and classes and special diets."

**"Turn left,"** the ATMOS device, attached to the dashboard, announced.

Rose shuddered as a memory from one of her nightmares washed over her. _Turn left... turn left... _She snapped out of it when she heard the Doctor say, "Ross, one question. If UNIT think that ATMOS is dodgy-"

"How come we've got it in the jeeps?" the young man finished. "Yeah, tell me about it. They're fitted as standard on all government vehicles. We can't get rid of them till we can prove there's something wrong."

**"Turn right,"** the ATMOS commanded.

"It could be a bit more polite about it," Rose joked, trying to get her thoughts away from her nightmares.

"Drives me around the bend," Ross agreed just as their vehicle turned a small bend in the road.

The Doctor gave a chuckle. "Oh, nice one."

"Timed that perfectly!"

"Yeah. Yeah, you did."

The ATMOS chimed, **"This is your final destination," **just as they pulled up to a magnificent looking building.

"Blimey," Rose exclaimed, "this place is like something out of a movie. Although..." Her gaze set on the rows of students jogging around the building in uniformed orange jump suits. "It sort of remind of a prison. Not a school."

Ross nodded in agreement with her as they both followed the Doctor of the stone path. There standing in everyday clothes, was one young man watching the other students go by.

The Doctor called out, "Is it PE? I wouldn't mind a kick around, I've got me daps on. What do you say, Rose?" He turned to his companion.

"No, ta," she replied with a sweet smile.

The young man (or boy, as Rose referred to him in her mind) turned to face them. "I suppose you're the Doctor?"

"Hello!" the Time Lord greeted cheerfully.

"Your commanding officer phoned ahead."

"That's funny," Rose nudged the Doctor's shoulder, "I don't remember calling ahead..."

He rolled his eyes playfully before returning his attention to the person they were there to see. "I haven't got a commanding officer. Have you? Oh, this is Ross. Say hello, Ross."

"Good afternoon, sir," the soldier responded dutifully.

"And this is Rose."

"Hi!" she said with a false smile. Something about Luke Rattigan was rubbing her the wrong way.

"Let's have a look then," the Doctor continued. "I can smell genius! In a good way!"

Rose smirked. "He really can, you know."

* * *

Once inside the school, Rattigan lead the three visitors into one of the many laboratories. The Doctor's eyes lit up with delight as he began dashing about the room, examining everything he could. "Watch this," Rose whispered to Ross. "Like a kid in a candy shoppe this one."

"Oh, now, that's clever," the Doctor remarked. "Look. Single molecule fabric, how thin is that?! You could pack a tent in a thimble. Ooo! Gravity simulators. Terraforming, biospheres, nano-tech steel construction. This is brilliant. Do you know, with equipment like this you could, ooo, I don't know, move to another planet or something?"

Rattigan made a face and responded with, "If only that was possible."

"If only that were possible," the Time Lord corrected. "Conditional clause."

"I think you'd better come with me."

* * *

Luke Rattigan lead them to one of the private recreation areas with a small swimming pool in the middle of the room. "You're smarter than the usual UNIT grunts, I'll give you that."

The Doctor turned to his UNIT escort, looking highly offended. "He called you a grunt. Don't call Ross a grunt. He's nice. We like Ross. Look at this place."

"What exactly do you want?" the young man snapped.

"Oi! Watch the attitude, junior," Rose scolded.

The Doctor gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze as he passed by her, pacing the room. "I was just thinking. What a responsible eighteen year old. Inventing zero carbon cars? Saving the world," he answered.

"Takes a man with vision," Luke preened.

"Mmm, blinkered vision. Because ATMOS means more people driving. More cars, more petrol. End result, the oil's going to run out faster than ever. The ATMOS system could make things worse."

Luke looked at him a bit frantically. "Yeah. Well, you see, that's a tautology. You can't say ATMOS system because it stands for Atmospheric Emissions System. So you're just saying Atmospheric Emissions System system! Do you see, Mister Conditional Clause?"

Rose stared at him in disbelief. "Did you miss nap time today? Or maybe you didn't get your juice box at snack?"

"Excuse me!?"

The Doctor bit back a smirk and said in his most serious voice, "It's been a long time since anyone said no to you, isn't it?"

"I'm still right, though."

"Not easy, is it, being clever. You look at the world and you connect things, random things, and think, why can't anyone else see it? The rest of the world is so slow."

"Yeah."

"And you're all on your own."

"I know."

"But not with this." The Doctor pulled the ATMOS device out of his pocket. "Because there's no way you invented this thing single handed. I mean, it might be Earth technology, but that's like finding a mobile phone in the Middle Ages. No, no, I'll tell you what it's like. It's like finding this in the middle of someone's front room. Albeit it's a very big front room." He paused in front of a large tubular structure in the corner of the room.

"Why, what is it?" Ross questioned.

"Yeah, just looks like a thing, doesn't it? People don't question things. They just say, oh, it's a thing."

Rattigan watched as the Doctor stepped inside the structure. "Leave it alone!" he commanded.

"Doctor," Rose said, her tone warning.

"Me, I make these connections. And this, to me, looks like a teleport pod." With that he pushed a button and disappeared.

Rose gasped in shock and rounded on Luke Rattigan. "What did you do?!" she demanded.

"I-I didn't do anything!" he stuttered. "You saw him. He did it to himself."

"Where did he go? Tell me!"

"No!"

Ross pointed his weapon at the young genius. "Answer her."

Suddenly, the Doctor reappeared and came running forward while shouting, "Ross, get Rose out! Luke, you've got to come with me." Before Ross and Rose could make it out, or the Doctor could sonic the teleport device, a heavily armed and masked creature teleported in. "Sontaran!" the Doctor announced. That's your name, isn't it? You're a Sontaran. How did I know that, hey? Fascinating isn't it? Isn't that worth keeping me alive?"

Ross placed himself in front of Rose and held his gun up the Sontaran. "I order you to surrender in the name of the Unified Intelligence Taskforce."

"Well that's not going to work. Cordolaine signal, am I right? Copper excitation stopping the bullets."

"How do you know so much?" the Sontaran asked.

Rose peeked out from the men in front of her. "Oh, don't get him started on that."

"Well." He shrugged.

The Sontaran turned to Luke. "Who is he?"

"He didn't give his name," the young man told him.

The Doctor waltzed over to a nearby desk, taking Rose with him, and leaned causally against it, saying, "But this isn't typical Sontaran behaviour, is it? Hiding? Using teenagers, stopping bullets? A Sontaran should face bullets with dignity. Shame on you."

"You dishonour me, sir!" the Sontaran responded.

"Yeah? Then show yourself."

"I will look into my enemy's eyes!" That being said, the Sontaran lifted his helmet, revealing his true features.

Sontarans were not what one would call a handsome or beautiful race, at least not to Rose. They were rather short, with domed heads and a tan coppery skin tone.

"Oh, my god," Ross mumbled as Rose said, "Huh. Not what I was expecting."

"And your name?" the Doctor asked.

"General Staal, of the Tenth Sontaran Fleet. Staal the Undefeated," was the response given.

"Oh, that's not a very good nickname. What if you do get defeated? Staal the Not Quite So Undefeated Anymore But Never Mind?"

"Yeah," Rose concurred, "Not the best idea, mate."

Ross continued to stare at the alien in complete shock. "He's like a potato. A baked potato. A talking baked potato."

"Now, Ross," the Doctor chided, "don't be rude. You look like a pink weasel to him."

"Hey!" Rose slapped his arm playfully as he reached across her to pick a squash racket and ball up off the floor.

He began bouncing the ball on the racket as he spoke. "The Sontarans are the finest soldiers in the galaxy, dedicated to a life of warfare. A clone race, grown in batches of millions with only one weakness."

"Sontarans have no weakness," General Staal injected.

"No, it's a good weakness!"

Luke Rattigan scoffed in annoyance. "Aren't you meant to be clever? Only an idiot would provoke him."

"Yep," Rose muttered under her breath. "Definitely missed nap time."

"No, but the Sontarans are fed by a probic vent in the back of their neck," the Time Lord continued. "That's their weak spot. Which means, they always have to face their enemies in battle. Isn't that brilliant? They can never turn their backs."

Staal stood proudly. "We stare into the face of death."

"Yeah? Well, stare at this." Using the racket, the Doctor smashed the ball into the teleported, causing it to rebound and hit General Staal in the back of the neck. Right in his probic vent. He grabbed Rose's hand while pushing on Ross with the other. "Run!" he shouted.

Not needing to be told twice, Ross and Rose both ran with the Doctor as fast as possible, not stopping for explanations until they had made it safely to the jeep and off the academy grounds.

* * *

Once Rose caught her breath, she said, "You said these Sontaras-"

"Sontarans," the Doctor corrected as he fumbled for the walkie talkie attached to the side of the seat.

"Whatever. You said they were soldiers. So what does that mean for Earth?"

He gave her a grim look. "It means we need to get back to the ATMOS factory as quickly as possible." He clicked the walkie talkie on. "Greyhound Forty to Trap One. Repeat, can you hear me? Over." He was met with nothing but static.

"Why's it not working?" Ross asked nervously, trying to focus on driving.

"It must be the Sontarans. If they can trace that, they can isolate the ATMOS."

On cue, the ATMOS device directed, **"Turn left."**

"Try going right," the Doctor told him.

"It said left," Ross replied uneasily.

"Yeah, and remember all those people that died simultaneously in their cars?! I wonder if they listened to the ATMOS," Rose snapped.

The UNIT soldier tried to turn the wheel, but found he had no control. He stomped his foot on the pedals and there was no reaction in the car. "I've got no control! It's driving itself. It won't stop."

"We'll have to jump out then," she suggested, already preparing herself for the bumps and bruises she was sure to acquire.

Ross shook his head as a negative. "The doors are locked," he said as the Doctor discovered that the ATMOS had been deadlocked as well.

"I can't stop it!" the Time Lord announced, trying to calculate in his head the best way to get out of this situation.

Rose gripped his arm as the car bounced over the rocky road. "Can't we shoot it or something?"

"Pointless. The sat-nav's just a box, wired through the whole car."

Ross gripped the steering wheel tightly, willing the car to let him have control once more. He realised where the car was going and began shaking. "We're headed for the river," he told the pair.

"Doctor, do something!" Rose commanded.

The Time Lord took a deep breath and prayed to every deity that he didn't believe in that his hunch would be correct. "ATMOS, are you programmed to contradict my orders?"

**"Confirmed,"** the device responded.

"Anything I say, you'll ignore it?"

**"Confirmed."**

"Then drive into the river," he told it. "I order you to drive into the river. Do it! Drive into the river!"

Rose clench her eyes shut as the jeep continued to drive straight for the river's edge. Just before they plunged into what was sure to be icy waters, the vehicle stopped suddenly. The next thing she knew, the Doctor was dragging her out and throwing her on the ground, his body covering hers. She heard the ATMOS begin to give random orders, clearly failing, when suddenly there was a small bang, followed by a few short sparks.

The Doctor looked up and said disappointedly, "Oh, was that it?"

Ross shot him a surprised look. "You're upset because it_ didn't_ explode with us right next to it?"

"Well..." He shrugged. "Let's go. We're not far from Donna's. We can leg it there."

* * *

"You would not believe the day we're having," the Doctor said the moment Donna answered the front door. After giving her a quick rundown of the events that had just transpired, he turned to Rose. "Try getting a hold of Martha. Explain to her what's going on. Now Donna, your mum's car has ATMOS, yeah? I need to have a look."

As they all went outside for the Doctor to inspect the car, Ross said, "I'll requisition us a vehicle."

"Anything without ATMOS. And don't point your gun at people!" he added as the young soldier gave a nod.

Suddenly an older gentleman came bursting out of the house. "Is it them? Is it them? Is it the Doctor and Rose?" He stopped when he saw the man inspecting the car and the woman at his side. "Ah, it's you two!"

"Who?" the Doctor looked up and recognised the man they had met at Christmas. "Oh, it's you."

"Hello again," Rose greeted cheerfully as she dialed Martha's number on her mobile.

Donna looked between the three, shock written all over face. "What, have you met before?"

"Yeah," her gramps responded. "Christmas Eve. They disappeared right in front of me."

"And you never said?" she accused.

"Well, you never said." He turned and shook both the Doctor's and Rose's hands. "Wilf, sir, mu'm. Wilfred Mott. You must be one of them aliens."

The Doctor gave a wide grin, already liking the man. "Yeah, well, I am anyway, but don't shout it out. Nice to meet you properly, Wilf."

Wilf swallowed and looked at the hand he had just embraced. "Oh, an alien hand."

Rose pulled the phone away from her ear. "Martha's not answering, but I'll keep trying."

"So you figured it all out then? It's the Sontorans that are behind the ATMOS?" Donna questioned.

"Sontarans," the Doctor corrected. "But there's got to be more to it. They can't be just remote controlling cars. That's not enough." He looked to Rose. "Is anyone answering?"

Rose held up her hand as she heard someone pick up the other line. She heard her old friend answer with, **_"Don't tell me. Rose Tyler."_**

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Martha! Finally! Listen, we've figured out who's behind this ATMOS business. I'm gonna hand you over to the Doctor so he can explain."

The Doctor pulled the mobile from her and immediately began speaking. "Martha, tell Colonel Mace it's the Sontarans. They're in the file. Code Red, Sontarans. But if they're inside the factory tell them not to start shooting. UNIT will get massacred. I'll get back as soon as I can. You got that?"

**_"Code Red Sontaran,"_** she responded. **_"Gotcha."_**

* * *

Once they hung up, the Doctor pulled the bonnet up on the car, put on his specs, and began working on the ATMOS with the sonic screwdriver, with Donna and Wilf looking on, while Rose rested on the side of the kerb.

"But you tried sonicing it before," Donna brought up. "You didn't find anything."

"Yeah, but now I know it's Sontaran, I know what I'm looking for," he told her.

Rose watched Wilf shift around, as the older gentlemen spoke up. "The thing is, Doctor," he started, "that Donna is my only grandchild. You got to promise me you're going to take care of her."

The blonde woman smiled sweetly and answered for the Doctor, "She takes care of us."

He chuckled. "Oh yeah, that's my Donna. Yeah, she was always bossing us round when she was tiny. The Little General we used to call her."

"Yeah, don't start," Donna said embarrassedly.

"And some of the boys she used to turn up with. Different one every week. Here, who was that one with the nail varnish?"

"Matthew Richards. He lives in Kilburn now... With a man."

Before anyone could respond to her revelation, rows of spikes released from the ATMOS. The Doctor shifted back before leaning back down to examine it. "Whoa! It's a temporal pocket. I knew there was something else in there. It's hidden just a second out of sync with real time."

"But what's it hiding?" Donna asked.

Suddenly they heard another female voice, belong to Donna's mum, come around the side of the vehicle saying, "I don't know, men and their cars. Sometimes I think if I was a car- Oh, it's you," she spat out. "Doctor what was it?"

"Yeah, that's me," the Doctor acknowledged halfheartedly.

Rose sat up from her spot on the kerb. "Hello again, Mrs. Noble."

"What, have you met them as well?" Wilf asked her in surprise.

His daughter shook her head. "Dad, it's the couple from the wedding. When you were laid up with Spanish flu. I'm warning you, last time these two turned up it was a disaster!"

As if sensing her words, the spikes attached to the ATMOS began releasing gas and smoke. "Get back!" the Doctor ordered as he pointed the sonic screwdriver at the device. "That'll stop it!" he said just as the ATMOS gave a small explosion, setting off sparks and clearing the air around them.

"I told you!" Sylvia Noble harped. "He's blown up the car! Who is he, anyway? What sort of doctor blows up cars?"

"He blew up my work the first day I met him," Rose whispered to Wilf, causing the man to hold in his mirth.

Donna sighed and ignored her friend and grandfather. "Oh, not now, Mum."

"Oh, should I make an appointment?" she snarked, before storming back into the house.

Rose began sniffing the air, something was off. "Doctor, do you smell that?"

He nodded and took a deep breath, trying to analyse the air. "That wasn't just exhaust fumes... Some sort of gas. Artificial gas."

"And it's aliens, is it? Aliens?" Wilf questioned hurriedly.

"But if it's poisonous, then they've got poisonous gas in every car on Earth," Donna brought up.

Before anyone could even process what was happening, Wilf moved to the driver's side of the car and said, "It's not safe. I'm going to get it off the street." With that he got in the car, the door's automatically locking.

"Wilf, no!" Rose shouted when she realised what the older man was doing.

Donna started banging on the side window. "Hold on! Turn it off. Granddad, get out of there!"

"I can't!" he shouted through the window, holding up the keys. "It's not locked! It's them aliens again!"

More of the toxic gas began pouring both into the car and out, affecting the air all around them. Rose looked around frantically for something to use to get Donna's granddad out of the car. "Doctor, what's happening?"

"They've activated it!" he shouted back, clearly referring to the Sontarans.

"There's gas inside the car!" Donna screamed. "He's going to choke! Doctor!"

The Doctor rushed to the side of the car and tried sonicing the door open. "It won't open!" He looked around and saw gas pouring from every car around them. "It's the whole world."

Rose grabbed his shoulders. "There's got to be something we can do!"

They heard Wilf's weak, "Help me. Get me out of here," from inside the car.

"Doctor!" Donna chocked out. Silently pleading with him to fix this. But how could he? Every car in the world. How could he possibly fix every single car in the world. Donna's grandfather was going to die right in front of her and there was nothing he could think of that would make this better.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Poison Sky**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	9. The Poison Sky Part 1

**A/N: Hello, all! Can I just say a huge thanks to my followers, to those who have favourited, and to those who have reviewed. You guys never cease to amaze me. Enjoy this next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode The Poison Sky. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

There had to be something they could do. Rose could not, would not, allow Donna Noble to be witness to her grandfather's death. Unacceptable. She took a good look at the car. Everything was deadlocked, yes, but that didn't mean the car couldn't be broken into. Glass was glass and glass could shatter. Surely the ATMOS had no affect on the windows as well? Without a second thought, she ran towards Donna's house in search of something heavy enough to break the windows.

She raced inside and was immediately met with the sight of Sylvia Noble. "Have you got a cricket bat or something?"

"Excuse me?" the older woman questioned, looking appalled.

"Sorry, bit of an emergency, your dad is trapped in the car and is about to suffocate to death, so let me ask again. Have you got something that can break a window!?"

"Move!" Sylvia pushed past her and reached under the sofa, pulling out a large axe.

* * *

Outside, the Doctor was under the vehicle trying everything he could think of to disable the ATMOS device.

"He's going to choke," Donna cried. "Doctor!"

"It won't open," he ground out in complete frustration. At that moment, Sylvia and Rose came rushing out of the house. The latter immediately closed the bonnet, while the former wielded the axe, breaking the windscreen.

"Well, don't just stand there. Get him out," Sylvia snapped.

* * *

"Thanks," Wilf coughed out once they had got him safely removed from the car.

Donna gripped her grandfather's arm tightly as she and her mother led the older man back towards the house. "I can't believe you've got an axe," she said to her mum.

"Burglars," was Sylvia's response.

"Get inside the house," the Doctor instructed. The air was still filled with the toxic gas. "Just try and close off the doors and windows."

Ross Jenkins pulled up in a black cab. "Doctor," he called out. "This is all I could find that hasn't got ATMOS."

"Donna, you coming?" the Doctor asked as he and Rose made their way to their new transportation.

"Yeah," she called back.

"Donna," her mother chastised. "Don't go. Look what happens every time that those two appear. Stay with us, please."

Wilf shook his head and said encouragingly, "You go, my darling!"

"Dad!"

"Don't listen to her. You go with the Doctor. That's my girl!"

Donna took her gramps advice and raced to the Doctor and Rose who were already waiting in the cab. Rose immediately grabbed her hand and asked, "You okay?"

She took a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah I am."

* * *

Thanks to fewer cars on the road, they were able to make it back to the ATMOS factory in record time. "Ross, look after yourself. Get inside the building," the Doctor instructed as soon as he had jumped out of the vehicle.

"Be careful, Ross!" Rose agreed. "And thanks for all your help."

The young man smiled. "My pleasure," he responded before speaking into his walkie-talkie, "Greyhound Forty to Trap One. I have just returned the Doctor to base safe and sound. Over."

* * *

"The air is disgusting," Donna commented as they made their way back to headquarters.

The Doctor looked at her concerned, he wasn't feeling the affects of the toxic gas, but he knew the two humans with him probably were. "It's not so bad for me. Go on, get inside the TARDIS. Oh, I've never given you a key." He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a spare TARDIS key. "Keep that. Go on, that's yours. Quite a big moment really."

She accepted the item gratefully. "Yeah, maybe we can get sentimental after the world's finished choking to death."

"Good idea. Rose, you should go with her. This air can't be safe for you either."

The blonde shook her head. "I'm fine, Doctor. I'm staying with you."

"Rose, I'm going to speak with Colonel Mace then I'll be back to the TARDIS myself. "

"I'm staying with you," she insisted.

It wasn't an ideal situation. Sontarans were a serious threat and this wasn't going to be a safe "adventure," but he knew there was no stopping her. He grabbed her hand. "Right then. Come on!"

"Where are you going?" Donna called out as the two began running towards the factory.

"To stop a war!"

* * *

The two burst into the mobile headquarters as the Doctor announced, "Right then, here I am. Good. Whatever you do, Colonel Mace, do not engage the Sontarans in battle. There is nothing they like better than a war. Just leave this to me."

Mace looked unimpressed. "And what are you going to do?"

"I've got the TARDIS. I'm going to get on board their ship."

"Doctor," Rose whispered. "There's Martha." She pointed to the lower level, where their old friend was sitting at a computar.

The Doctor moved to tap Martha on the shoulder. "Come on," he told her. Rose felt a shiver up her spine as their former companion waltzed past her. There was something... off about her. Sensing her thoughts the Doctor said in her ear, "I know. Don't say anything just yet."

With a tiny nod from her as confirmation, they left.

* * *

Rose's connection with the TARDIS was quite unique. She was always aware of the time-ship right there in the back of her mind. She never felt stronger than when she was inside the Old Girl and when she was outside, close proximity was best. So when the connection in her mind was pulled at suddenly, she knew something was wrong. She could still feel the ship, but the connection was distant. Her legs went weak beneath her, as her mind reeled from the loss.

The Doctor was always aware of Rose. No matter where or when they were, he always needed to know that she was okay. So when he saw her features suddenly pale out of the corner of his eye, he knew instantly that something was wrong. Thanks to his quick reflexes, he was able to grab her around the waist before she collapsed to the ground. "Rose! What is it? What's wrong?"

She nuzzled her face into his neck, seeking as much physical contact as possible. "The TARDIS," she whispered. "She feels so far way."

What did that mean? His mind went back to the Titanic and how weak Rose had become by being seperated from the ship. "We're almost to there now," he told her, holding her close to his chest. "You'll feel better once your inside."

Martha caught up with them and looked at Rose, false concern plastered on her face. "You alright?"

"Oh, she's fine," the Doctor answered for her. "Just a bit tired. No time to rest though! Allons-y!"

Once they reached the alley, their beloved blue box was nowhere to be found. Rose whimpered as she leaned against the wall, watching the Doctor racing to where they had parked earlier in the day. She had figured that the TARDIS wouldn't be there, but it still hurt to find her suspicions confirmed.

"But where's the TARDIS?" Martha asked frantically.

The Doctor walked back and put his arm around Rose's waist, offering the support she needed. "Taste that, in the air. Yuck. That sort of metal tang. Teleport exchange. It's the Sontarans. They've taken it. I'm stuck on Earth like, like an ordinary person. Like a human. How rubbish is that?" Rose smacked his arm. "Sorry, no offence, but come on."

"I'm feeling a little better," Rose confided quietly. "Think I'm adjusting."

"Just try to take it easy," he advised.

Martha looked between the pair. "So what do we do?"

"Well, I mean, it's shielded. They could never detect it."

"What?"

The Doctor gave her a long look before saying, "I'm just wondering, have you phoned your family and Tom?"

"No," she answered, unconcerned. "What for?"

Rose almost snorted in disbelief. What was going on? "The gas, Martha," she said slowly. "It's dangerous. You need to tell your family to stay inside."

Martha blinked in surprise before automatically agreeing. "Course I will, yeah but, what about Donna?" she questioned accusingly. "I mean, where's she?"

"Oh, she's gone home," the Doctor replied, squeezing Rose's waist as a signal to play along. "She's not like you. She's not a soldier. Right. So." He nodded his head back towards the factory. "Avanti."

* * *

"Change of plan," the Doctor said the moment he entered the mobile headquarters.

"Good to have you fighting alongside us, Doctor," Mace greeted.

The Time Lord made his way around the room checking the various computers and their coinciding equipment. "I'm not fighting. I'm not-fighting, as in not hyphen fighting, got it? Now, does anyone know what this gas is yet?"

Rose settled herself in a nearby empty chair as Martha took over one of the computers and answered with, "We're working on it."

"It's harmful, but not lethal until it reaches eighty percent density," one of the female members of UNIT added on. "We're having the first reports of deaths from the centre of Tokyo City."

"And who are you?" the Doctor asked.

The woman stood to attention and offered him a salute. "Captain Marion Price, sir."

"Oh, put your hand down. Don't salute."

"Jodrell Bank's traced a signal, Doctor, coming from five thousand miles above the Earth. We're guessing that's what triggered the cars," Mace said, bringing the scan up on screen.

"The Sontaran ship," the Doctor confirmed.

"NATO has gone to Defcon One. We're preparing a strike."

"You can't do that. Nuclear missiles won't even scratch the surface. Let me talk to the Sontarans."

"You're not authorised to speak on behalf of the Earth."

Rose scoffed and let out a harsh laugh. "If he followed that rule, you lot would have been dead years ago."

The Doctor's lips quirked. "She's right. I've got that authority. I earned that a long time ago." With that he placed his Sonic Screwdriver into the UNIT communications system and said, "Calling the Sontaran Command Ship under Jurisdiction Two of the Intergalactic Rules of Engagement. This is the Doctor."

_'Rose! Doctor!'_ Rose audibly gasped. She could have sworn she had just heard her mum. But she couldn't have. Right? God, she really was tired. Being away from the TARDIS must really be affecting her.

General Stall and several other Sontarans appeared on screen. **"Doctor, breathing your last?"** Stall said in greeting.

"My God, they're like trolls," Mace commented in shock.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes. Offend their looks. Fantastic plan, Colonel."

"Yeah," the Doctor concurred as he made his way to the empty chair next to his companion's and took a seat, "loving the diplomacy, thanks. So, tell me, General Staal, since when did you lot become cowards?"

**"How dare you!"** the Sontaran exclaimed.

"Oh, that's diplomacy?" Mace injected.

Staal continued, **"Doctor, you impugn my honour."**

The Doctor made a face. "Yeah, I'm really glad you didn't say belittle, because then I'd have a field day." He saw Rose resisting the urge to giggle as he said, "But poison gas? That's the weapon of a coward and you know it. Staal, you could blast this planet out of the sky. And yet you're sitting up above watching it die. Where's the fight in that? Where's the honour? Or are you lot planning something else, because this isn't normal Sontaran warfare. What are you lot up to?"

**"A general would be unwise to reveal his strategy to the opposing forces."**

He smiled. Now they were getting somewhere. "Ah, the war's not going so well, then. Losing, are we?"

**"Such a suggestion is impossible."**

"What war?" Mace asked.

"The war between the Sontarans and the Rutans," the Doctor responded. "It's been raging, far out in the stars, for fifty thousand years. Fifty thousand years of bloodshed, and for what?"

**"For victory!"** Staal proclaimed as he and the other Sontarans began chanting, **"Sontar-ha."**

He rolled his eyes. "Give me a break," he muttered as he pulled out the sonic screwdriver and changed the channel for the video chat to a cartoon.

Colonel Mace made his way closer and said insistently, "Doctor, I would seriously recommend that this dialogue is handled by official Earth representation."

Ignoring him, the Doctor switched the video feed back to the Sontarans. "Finished?"

**"You will not be so quick to ridicule when you'll see our prize,"** Staal told him, moving aside to reveal a familiar blue box. **"Behold. We are the first Sontarans in history to capture a TARDIS."**

Just seeing the TARDIS still intact made Rose sigh in relief, though how exactly they would get their ship back, she had no idea. But then she remembered who was in the TARDIS. Rose nudged the Doctor subtly and coughed the name, "Donna," into her hand.

He gave a subtle nod and addressed the Sontarans, looking directly into the screen. "Well, as prizes go, that's noble. As they say in Latin, Donna nobis pacem," he said knowingly, hoping with all hope that Donna was in the control room paying attention. "Did you never wonder about its design? It's a phone box. It contains a phone. A telephonic device for communication. Sort of symbolic. Like, if only we could communicate, you and I"

"**All you have communicated is your distress, Doctor,"** Staal replied.

"Big mistake though, showing it to me." He waved the sonic screwdriver. "Because I've got remote control."

The Sontaran General looked shocked and ordered, **"Cease transmission!" **

"Ah, well."

The screen went blank causing Mace to comment with, "That achieved nothing."

"How do you know?" Rose questioned. "Have a little trust, Colonel." With that shehe followed to where the Doctor had stepped outside for a moment.

"You shouldn't be out here," he told her as soon as she did. "The air isn't safe."

"I'll be okay for a few minutes. Doctor, what are we gonna do?"

He took a deep breath. "Has Donna tried calling you?"

"No. Not yet." She reached in her jacket pocket to pull out her mobile, but discovered it empty. She checked her jean pockets next, but found them to be the same. "That's odd. Doctor, do you have my mobile?"

"No..."

"Well, there's no way Donna's calling us now. My phone is missing!"

"You lost you mobile?" he asked, his voice in a lower register than normal. Rose could tell he was trying to remain calm with her.

"Not purposefully! It must have fallen out of my pocket at some point. I'm sorry, alright?

The Doctor shook his head and pulled her in for a brief hug. "I'm not angry with you. It was an accident. Come on. This air is bad. We need to get back to work."

"Doctor?" Rose took a deep breath. She wanted to tell the Doctor about earlier, about how she could have sworn she heard her mum, but decided against it at the last minute. She cleared her throat. "What's going on with Martha?"

"I have a few theories," he answered.

"Care to share with the class?"

"Not just yet. Do me a favour though... Act as normal as possible towards her, but do not trust her, Rose. Do you understand me? And do not allow yourself to be alone with her."

This frightened Rose more than anything. Not trust Martha? There was a time where the whole world had to trust their old companion. They needed to solve this puzzle, because Rose could not stand losing her friend now.

* * *

When they went back inside the mobile headquarters, the Doctor headed straight for Martha, pulling a clipboard out of her hands that contained the test results from the toxic gas.

"There's carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, but ten percent unidentified. Some sort of artificial heavy element we can't trace. You ever seen anything like it?" she asked.

"It must be something the Sontarans invented," he answered. "This isn't just poison. They need this gas for something else. What could that be?"

They then heard Captain Price announce, "Launch grid online and active."

"Positions, ladies and gentlemen," Colonel Mace commanded, "Defcon One initiatives in progress."

The Doctor moved to the man's side. "What?" he practically growled. "I told you not to launch."

"The gas is at sixty percent density. Eighty percent and people start dying, Doctor. We've got no choice."

Price began her countdown with, "Launching in sixty, fifty nine, fifty eight, fifty seven, fifty six. Worldwide nuclear grid now coordinating. Fifty four, fifty three-"

"Seriously? You're asking for a war, Colonel Mace!" Rose shouted over the countdown.

The Doctor grabbed her hand, trying to ground himself. "You're making a mistake, Colonel. For once, I hope the Sontarans are ahead of you.

"Doctor, we have to stop this, yeah? Tell me you have a plan," Rose whispered harshly in his ear as Price began listing all the countries that were online.

"Remember those theories I have?" he whispered back. "Well, we're about to see if one of them is correct."

She groaned and buried her head in his chest as Price said, "All systems locked and coordinated. Launching in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five-"

"God save us," Mace prayed softly.

"Four, three, two, one, zero."

There were two beats of silence before the screen with the world map went blank.

"What is it? What happened? Did we launch? Well, did we?" Mace demanded.

"Negative, sir," Price confirmed. "The launch codes have been wiped, sir. It must be the Sontarans."

"Can we override it?"

"Trying it now, sir."

"Theory correct?" Rose asked quietly.

"Seems that way," the Doctor agreed before saying loud enough for all to hear, "Missiles wouldn't even dent that ship, so why are the Sontarans so keen to stop you?" He looked at Martha. "Any ideas?"

She looked taken aback. "How should I know?"

Rose gave her a friendly smile. "Because you're brilliant, Martha."

Before she could respond they all heard Ross Jenkins come over the comm. _**"Enemy within. At arms. Greyhound Forty declaring Absolute emergency. Sontarans within factory grounds. East corridor, grid six." **_

"Absolute emergency. Declaring Code Red. All troops, Code Red," Mace responded immediately.

Rose looked to the Doctor, panicked. "What's that mean?! What are they gonna do!?"

The Time Lord moved back to Mace's side. "Get them out of there."

Ignoring him, the man sent his command. "All troops, open fire."

"No!" Rose shouted.

There was a few seconds of silence before Ross's shaky voice said, **_"Guns aren't working. Inform all troops, standard weapons do not work... Tell the Doctor it's that cordolaine signal. He's the only one who can stop them."_**

Mace waited a tense moment before saying, "Greyhound Forty, report. Over. Greyhound Forty, report. Greyhound Forty, report."

"That's not his name!" Rose cried out, pushing past the Doctor and getting in the Colonel's face. "His name was Ross and he's dead because you didn't listen to the Doctor. So I suggest you take a page from that brilliant young man and do as the Doctor says!"

The Doctor put his hands on Rose's shoulders, pulling her back to his chest. "Get them out of there," he told the man darkly.

Colonel Mace gave a brief nod. "Trap One to all stations. Retreat. Order imperative. Immediate retreat."

Rose blinked back tears. There would be time to break down later, time to mourn the loss of the young solider. But now, now they needed to save the TARDIS, Donna, Martha, and the rest of the world.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Poison Sky Part 2**_

**Please review! xoxo**


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